What once was can never be again
by Drakenlostmoon
Summary: "It's you."... After a decade's absence, Adrien Agreste finally returns to Paris. Time can do strange things to people however as Marinette soon discovers. Struggling to find his place in the world, the young man is very different from the friend that she once knew. With ghosts from the past chasing them, the group try to make sense of who they once were and who they have become.
1. Time marches on

_Hi! First story here. This fic is based off of a comic I was going to do but sort of grew a bit... I might still do the prologue. I don't know yet. Anyway, enjoy. Criticism and opinions are obviously more than welcome._

 _/_

The rain hammered down mercilessly over Paris. An outstretched arm offers an umbrella, a sign of peace and an offer of comfort.

The young fashion designer, standing on the steps of her school doesn't accept however. All she can do is stare at the figure offering it to her. He doesn't react other than to smile softly. The fact that he's being rained on doesn't seem to register to the young man or at the very least, he isn't bothered by it, despite the shelter that he's offering out in front of him and which is currently being ignored. He just looks at her, green eyes gentle and compassionate. The way he fixes her with such tender kindness, causes the young woman to remain all the more speechless, wondering if she's slipped into a scene from over a decade ago.

Finally, after what could have been an eternity or simply a few seconds. She managed to mutter, in some considerable amount of shock:

"It's you..."

A gentle smile is all the acknowledgement that she gets.

Somehow, the young woman found herself following the young man in front of her mindlessly, she remained close enough so as to be able to offer him some shelter from her umbrella.. The proximity in itself was truly bizarre. Asides from that wasn't thinking. It was impossible to think. It was more like operating on autopilot. He could have lead her off of the edge of a cliff, she likely wouldn't have noticed until she hit the ground. It couldn't be him… This was just her imagination playing tricks on her. It wouldn't be the first time she'd thought that she'd seen a familiar set of green eyes looking at her in the crowd only to discover that they belonged to another or were simply a trick of the light.

If he was an illusion however, he was by far and away the most realistic that her mind had ever conjured up. He was older but not so much so as to be unrecognisable. His wonderful smile remained the same. His voice had fully broken and was now a lower tone that she was used to. There was no mistaking the mop of blonde hair or his eyes. Any notion that it was simply a doppelgänger or someone who bore a resemblance to her former crush (in which case following him would have been a foolish thing to do) had been dismissed when she'd seen his kwami, back to hiding in his pocket. A lone Adrien was one thing to see, him accompanied by Plagg was another all together.

Where had he been? Why was he back? Was he alone? A thousand questions spiralled around in the young fashion designer's head. They drowned out the world around her. A part of her wanted to call Alya and the others, to let them know just what was going on and who she was with. She couldn't even muster the presence of mind to do that. She found herself absorbed by Adrien's presence to an extent that only he seemed to exist any more. His current appearance blurred together with that which he had sported all those years ago when they had parted ways. The young man and the teenager blurred together in her mind as she found herself taken back to that night all those years ago.

 _I can't stay here any more. I'm leaving. Goodbye._

Such harsh words but here he was, as if they had never been spoken before. Hang on? Just where were they? A voice called her out of her daydreaming state.

"Marinette?" It was Adrien.

"Huh?" It was like coming to out of a dazed state, she abruptly took notice of her decidedly unfamiliar surroundings.

"What would you like for your dinner mademoiselle?" A pleasant looking Asian waitress asked her patiently.

"Oh!" She picked the first thing on the menu without really thinking about it. When had they walked into a Chinese anyway?! "I'll have the caramelized pork with noodles, please!"

"Very well and you sir?"

"Just some noodles please." Was his simple request.

"Just noodles, sir?" The waitress questioned, eyebrows raised.

"Yes. Just noodles, if you don't mind. Thank you."

Marinette was curious about the odd order. Perhaps her companion wasn't very hungry? Although now that she thought about it, she seemed to recall him claiming that he was which had lead to them coming here. The waitress departed mere moments later.

Silence reigned over the table. After all this time, could she really not think of anything to say to her old friend? The truth was that she had too much on her mind to possibly even begin to ask it all. A thousand questions and she didn't know which one to say first. Simple chat was impossible as a part of the young woman was still struggling to get her head around the fact that she was here with Adrien Agreste, someone she' pined after for years and that none of this was an illusion was still struggling to get through to her. At any second, Marinette felt as if the scene would dissolve and that she would wake back up in her bed. Even as she was given her glass of wine (which she was beginning to feel that she desperately needed) and her companion his water, she found herself wondering if she'd attended Alya's party after all and overindulged in alcohol.

If it was a dream. She decided to make the most of it. It's realism was such that she was inclined to believe in it. As impossible as it might sound, she was definitely here, with Adrien Agreste. There was no denying it. All of her senses couldn't be wrong. She could hear the chatter from the other tables, the smell of the food was appetizing as it was placed in front of them. Excitement began to bubble in the pit of her stomach as she came to a very simple realization: she was here with her friend...

A friend and a stranger at the same time.

He had both changed beyond all recognition and not at all. He was easy to recognise physically: the same mop of blonde hair and stunning green eyes. He had grown of course. She wasn't too sure if he was taller than Nino or not, the difference must have been small whatever it was. He had filled out however. Despite the baggy tee-shirt, she could make out powerful arm muscles which she guessed meant that he'd been keeping fit. He certainly appeared healthy. Apparently, life at the temple – or wherever they had retreated to – had done him no harm. Once more, she found herself feeling a familiar heat rise to her cheeks as she contemplated the young man. He seemed to be oblivious. That again was familiar about him. He ate his noodles calmly, if he had noticed that she was staring at him, he wasn't letting on in the slightest. It was only after a few moments of her not eating but simply fixing him that he appeared to sense that something wasn't quite right. He raised his gaze to meet hers, wiping around his mouth with a cloth.

"Are you okay, Marinette?" His attention travelled down to her plate of food. "You haven't eaten."

"Me?!" The simple fact that he was addressing her caused the young woman to jump. "Yeah! Of course- I'm fine!"

She made quick work of shovelling a forkful of pasta into her mouth. It was colder than it should have been, a testament to just how much time she had spent gawking at him. In her panicked attempt to conceal just how much she had been staring, she found herself almost chocking on the food. She struggled to avoid spluttering, already the mental image of herself spitting her dinner out over her long absent friend conjured itself in her mind. Despite her best efforts to conceal her difficulty, she must have looked peculiar as Adrien stared at her. This awkwardness which she felt was one thing she would have appreciated disappearing. Unfortunately it lingered, leaving her feeling foolish in front of him, like some drooling fangirl who was no longer in control of her own actions. Was it a feeling of inferiority? No. What it was was a nervousness she couldn't escape, making even the most minute of things seem blown out of all proportion.

He smiled softly. It was a slight tug at the corner of his lips. He looked down at his plate before raising his gaze once more. She blushed, averting her eyes and wishing that she could just vanish until she managed to regain some form of composure. It was rather innocently that he finally spoke, breaking the silence:

"So… You're studying fashion, then? Any of your stuff hit the runway, yet?"

"Not the catwalk – at least not a real one - not yet." There was some regret there but it would come in time, more than one person had told her that much. "Jagged Stone wore one of my jackets through."

"Really?! That's awesome Marinette!"

She blushed once more. There was something about the genuine enthusiasm and joy with the way that Adrien spoke that made his words actually mean something. He somehow managed to always sound sincere. Not only that he actually meant what he was saying but that it meant something to him. It wasn't just where she was concerned, it felt like he cared about everyone. In truth, she didn't know how much he actually cared about all things fashion and how much of it was pandering to the interests of those around him, be it his father or friends.

She hesitated. The fact that he was asking about her seemed to indicate that his return was comparatively recent. For all that, he couldn't have just gotten off of the plane as he had known exactly where to find her. He must have been here for at least a day so as to know just where she went to her classes. Other than that, her detective skills weren't enough to allow her to try to imagine everything that had happened to her friend since they had gone their own ways. It was a question she had asked many a time. As the years had trickled by, she had found herself both desperate to hear from him and dreading whatever news they might receive. Time seemed to both increase uncertainty and the chances that something, somewhere had gone terribly wrong.

The restaurant didn't seem like the place to start bringing up all that fear and worry. That should have been something done once they had caught up some more and had time to get to know one another again. Much of Adrien remained as she had remembered him and just how she had dreamt their reunion would be but there were a few things which remained _off_. Despite her reservations, curiosity proved to be a powerful driving force however, prompting her to ask in as natural a way as possible:

"What about you? What have you been doing?"

"Training. Day in and day out. I won't bore you with the details." He took another forkful of pasta. "Lets just say I missed my old life."

"Well we sure missed you. What about Master Fu? Did he come too?"

The young man paused suddenly, as if he had suddenly become frozen, a bolt of electricity running through his body. It lasted a few seconds. Just long enough for Marinette to realize that something was wrong. He stopped eating preferring instead to simply stir his food, mixing it around listlessly in his plate. The lack of response only seemed to confirm the young woman's worst fears. She was only able to think of a couple of scenarios which could have lead to such a reaction: either Adrien had left without the man's permission, something he had sworn he never would do but curiously enough not something that she would have put past him or…

"He passed away..."

"What?.." Marinette couldn't help but stutter.

"One morning, I woke up and he didn't."

The response was simple. Most people above the age of three would have been able to understand just what he meant by it. There was some pain there, as clear as day. Regret took hold. She'd probably only spent minutes in the man's company if it were all added up. Still, the knowledge that the elderly man was no longer with them came as a blow. He'd always been someone experienced and wise for them to turn to when they needed help. Without him, there could be no doubt that they wouldn't have been able to defeat Hawkmoth or Mayura. Adrien however might have never left, instead of heading on his quest to purge himself of his parents' sins. Her friend had been living in the man's company for a decade, it must have been a terrible loss for him.

"How long ago was this?" She couldn't help but ask.

"About three months ago." Came the quiet reply.

Three months? Marinette tried her best to imagine what that must have been like for her friend. She hesitated, wondering just how much (if at all) Adrien had cared for the man. Unless he had changed beyond all recognition, he must have formed some attachment over the course of a decade. It must have come as quite a blow. She didn't know what sort of life he had lead, for the moment, her old friend had been evasive to say the least about that much. Had he been alone for all that time until he had come here?

She'd never known much about Master Wang Fu. The man was in many ways a mystery. She got the feeling that might have suited him quite well. He was ancient and wise, that much she did know from the few times that she'd met him, perhaps also merciful being willing to give Adrien, the son of two of his enemies, a chance. He was the last guardian and that was all that she knew of him. She didn't even know just why he had accepted to shelter Cat Noir. The then fourteen year old had ran before any of them could question him about his motivations. True, he was alone with even Nathalie being locked up for the next foreseeable future but nothing had forced him to leave. He'd done that of his own accord and if she was honest, it still hurt.

"I'm sorry."

"Yeah..." The teen's tone of voice made Marinette unwilling to pry any further.

"So you came back here?" It was the first thing she could think of to change the subject.

"Yes. I had some work to finish, so I waited a while." He paused a moment, a pensive smile appeared on his face as he did so. "Besides, I had to let my hair grow back."

She couldn't tell if he was joking or not. Maybe that was the intention.

The conversation became somewhat stagnant once more. She had so many questions to ask and yet she couldn't even begin to articulate any of them. In truth, she found herself to be somewhat lost as she sat there. There was so much which had been left unsaid or simply never known. If nothing else, the last time she'd seen him it had been when he had dumped the sizeable bombshell on them that he was Cat Noir before disappearing for a little over a decade, all this mere hours after his father, mother and their personal assistant had been arrested for what could only be described as "magical terrorism" which had plagued Paris for months. Then there was the matter of just what he'd been doing in the interim, not that he'd been very open about that. If that wasn't enough to fill an entire evening with discussion, there was also just what had prompted his return which could be brought up.

No, things to talk about weren't in short supply. It just felt incredibly awkward to even try mentioning them. Marinette found herself wondering if she was suffering once more from the "Adrien syndrome" which had plagued her so much as a teenager. The awkwardness had returned. Heat rose to her cheeks as she averted her gaze to the best of her ability, choosing instead to fix her food.

"So… What did I miss?"

"You're asking me to sum up 10 years?" She raised an eyebrow dubiously.

"No..." The young man chuckled at the prospect. "I think we'd be here until the morning. Just you, I guess. You, Nino, Alya and Chloe. How are you doing?"

"Fine." An honest if simplistic answer. "I think Chloe's turning into her mom. She's the second harshest fashion critic I know. Alya's studying journalism at college, she's got a column in Le Parisien. She's still together with Nino. He's a DJ, doing gigs and stuff."

Adrien's smile was a genuine one but she felt that behind it lay something else, a sorrow of some kind. Perhaps regret that he himself, hadn't been here to see it. There was so much that he'd missed. She couldn't possibly tell him about everything, not in one go. A handful of sentences was hardly enough either but hopefully would allow him to realize that his friends were doing alright. They'd come on a long way since he had left them. Whilst life had definitely had its ups and downs but it had entered into something of a stable routine which suited all of them a few years ago when they had left high school and entered a slightly more adult world. The miraculouses had never been forgotten, nor the green eyed boy who had disappeared alongside them but as the years had trickled by, their shadow had become increasingly distant, no longer weighing so heavily on their shoulders.

For her part, Marinette had finally stopped looking towards the door every morning, expecting their friend to come striding in with his usual cheery smile.

"What about you? You got a guy?"

"Me?!" In an instant, she was shaken out of her thoughts and reverted into panic mode. "No! Well yeah. On and off. I mean nothing serious! Which isn't to say that I didn't like you- them! Uh... You remember Luka, right?"

"Juleka's brother? Yeah. The guy with the guitar." His brow furred ever-so-slightly as he spoke. "You're dating him?"

"Kind of. Like I said, it's an on-off thing. More of an off thing at the moment to be honest." She frowned trying not to dwell on that somewhat complicated side of her life. "What about you?"

The thought that Adrien might have settled down had crossed her mind more than once throughout the years. Whilst a part of her did wish him that happiness, it was difficult to ignore the instinctive jealousy which took hold. They could only speculate as to what his life had been like, wherever he had ended up. A part of that might have involved romance. She supposed, at 24 years of age, it wasn't impossible that he could even have a child or two of his own. As she found herself going back over those notions in her mind, she was disturbed by a bout of soft laughter from her companion. It wasn't mocking, just genuinely amused by the suggestion or maybe a little embarrassed.

"No, not one." He regained his composure before explaining. "Apprentices aren't allowed partners. They're seen as a potential distraction. It was one of my vows."

"You took vows?" Her voice raised slightly, intrigued.

"A lot of them: no meat, no alcohol, no girls." He shrugged his shoulders indifferently a moment later. "Not that there was much of any on the back of a mountain in the middle of Tibet."

"-but Master Fu, did he even give you a choice?"

It was a question they'd all asked themselves more than once over the course of the past few years. Not without a fair amount of guilt it had to be said. They'd all been so shocked, dumbfounded that none of them had been thinking clearly that night when he'd left them. Adrien Agreste was Cat Noir. The young man who had just helped them put away their two mortal enemies and retrieve their stolen miraculouses. Mortal enemies who happened to be his own parents. When he'd announced he was leaving with Master Wang Fu, a man none of them knew more than in passing, the emotional blow had hit them like a ton of bricks to the extent that they hadn't even been able to muster together enough strength to give him a proper goodbye. Not that he'd given them much of a chance to do so, Marinette reminded herself.

It was only in the weeks after his sudden departure that they had wondered just when and how he had agreed to it. Had it been part of some plan all along that only he and the guardian had known about? Or was it a spur of the moment thing? Whilst Marinette was instinctively more inclined to believe the latter given that the old man had claimed to have no idea just who lay behind the masks of Hawk Moth and Mayura, she'd inevitably started to have her doubts, wondering along with her friends if some degree of blackmail hadn't been used to pressurize their friend into leaving. Now that he was back with them, she finally had the opportunity to ask.

The atmosphere changed, turning a little colder. Adrien abandoned his attempt to scoop up some more noodles, to look at her. His green eyes narrowed, no doubt wondering just what was going through her head:

"You can't pick and chose vows. That would be too easy." He frowned, adopting a slightly more grave expression. "-but that's not what you meant, is it?"

"No..." Her voice trailed off as he gathered the confidence the clarify. "I meant did he give you the choice to go with him and live like that?"

"Of course he did. Don't get me wrong, he suggested it. I would never have asked to go with him but only because I didn't know it was an option." He let out a heavy and regretful sigh. "I was young and foolish Marinette and scared. I was just so terrified. I didn't know what to do. Everyone I knew and loved, they were all taken away from me. They deserved it and I- I wasn't blameless either. Master Fu knew that. He gave me a chance to redeem myself and himself the opportunity to train a new guardian so that when he died, their knowledge would be preserved."

Marinette was struck by the simple matter of fact way that he presented the events and his motivations. It was honest, almost brutally so. He seemed to have no problem with explaining what he had felt and the emotional reasoning which had driven him. It left her unsure just how to respond. A part of her wanted to say that he was wrong, he wouldn't have been alone. His family might have been gone but he still had his friends. She dismissed that thought as foolish and childish in its logic. They were fourteen at the time. He would still have had to go _somewhere_ … Master Fu was, she supposed, whilst an unconventional choice, as good as anything. If nothing else, it had gotten him out of Paris at a time when it wasn't good to be an Agreste in the capital.

Her surprise at his response must have been obvious as he gave her a gentle and affectionate smile. There was something almost Cat Noir about the way that he looked at her in those few seconds:

"Yeah. I'm sworn off lying as well."

"I can tell that..." She replied with a giggle before something occurred to her. "Do the others know you're here?"

"No. You can tell them but I'm trying to keep it quiet. You know? I mean, shouldn't really have come to see you-"

"Why not?"

He froze like a deer in the headlights, evidently aware that he had said something he shouldn't have. The young man frowned, taking note of her anger and puzzling over it. She gave him a few moments, patiently waiting until he explained himself or at least clarified just what exactly he meant. She wasn't particularly offended so much as wondered just what could have prevented him from coming to see his old friends. Had he been given orders by Master Fu, she could have understood but given that he was no longer with them, it would seem that the objection therefore came from Adrien himself. The young man giggled nervously, rubbing behind his head. A tick that he'd apparently kept from his teenage years.

"Sorry. It's just, things are different now. I mean, you've got your life, I've got mine."

"What are you saying?" She narrowed her eyes, getting a decidedly bad feeling about all of this.

"Well, they don't really belong together. It's not like things can go back to the way that they-"

In a flash, Marinette got up, surprising her dinner companion. Adrien stayed sat down staring in silence at the young woman as she slung her handbag over her shoulder. As angry as she was, she didn't make a scene. She simply got up and left, leaving him stunned. She moved quickly enough for him to realize that if he didn't give chase, she would be gone.

In truth, the young woman didn't care, storming out of the restaurant and into the street. She walked as quickly as her legs would allow her without breaking into a full run. It was difficult to ignore Adrien sprinting after her to the restaurant owner's outraged cries. He was less delicate, almost knocking a waiter off of his feet as he leapt over a table in order to catch up. He was quick, able to catch up to her in a matter of seconds. She wouldn't have been able to outrun him, she realized that much. He grabbed her arm, holding it loosely so as not to hurt her but equally preventing her escape. She struggled, symbolically more than anything else before spinning around on her heels to look him in the eye.

"Let me go!" She commanded, practically spitting at him.

"Wh- What did I do?" His confusion was evident, he had no idea what has brought this on.

"If you want me out of your life, then fine! I'll stay out of it."

"Marin- That's not what I meant!"

"Isn't it?!"

"No."

She paused, giving him a chance to explain. Slowly, Adrien relinquished his grip, realizing that she wasn't about to pull away. The rain was thundering down as they stood there, drenching them both to the bone. Marinette managed to maintain a cold look as she waited for the young man's response. His mouth hung open but no words came out as he searched for a way to justify his actions or rather his words. At that moment, it seemed as if he'd replayed what he'd said in his own mind, realizing just how she must have taken it. He froze, regret beginning to fill his eyes. She gave him a few more seconds, waiting patiently.

No apology came.

Instead, he shook his head slowly, averting his gaze. With a huff, she turned around and ran. This time, she didn't hold back. Tears stinging at the corners of her eyes as she went. Her destination? Anywhere where she could be sure not to encounter Adrien Agreste. She glanced once over her shoulder to ensure that she wasn't being followed. The startled looks that she was given by passersby failed to register as did the car that she forced to slam on its breaks to avoid hitting her as she ran blindly across the road. Tonight was a time to run and not to look back. Ten years worth of hopes and dreams went up in smoke in the space of a couple of words.

Adrien didn't give chase. Instead, he lingered there in the rain, watching until she had disappeared into the distance and finally out of sight. Regret already stung him bitterly, drowning out the rain as it hammered down on top of him. It was only the restaurant owner, storming out and threatening to call the cops if he didn't return and pay which finally snapped him out of it and caused him to head back inside.

It wasn't until she had stormed into her house, running up the stairs and calling out some excuse about being "held up on the metro" that she finally found herself calming down. As she shut her door behind her, a strange lassitude took hold. She found herself trapped there. The events which had occurred mere moments ago replaying through her mind. Her legs began to tremble as she stood there. She allowed herself to fall down. Gasping for breath, she closed her eyes, trying her best to make some sense of the storm of emotions thundering through her head. Everything was a mixture of confusion and anger. Hopes had been dashes and pedestals destroyed. Tears flowed down her cheeks.

There had been a dream which she had had on many an occasion. Adrien Agreste, Cat Noir would come back into their lives just as he had done tonight. He would be standing there, older but still very much the same. That gentle look behind his eyes and a wonderful smile just waiting for his old friends. There would be tears, yes but not sad ones. He would embrace his old friends for exactly what they were and they would go back to being the way that they once more. Sometimes, she would be given Tikki back but not always. That part of her life, she had more or less come to terms with was over. Although the kwami still left something of a hole in her heart which she suspected could never be filled.

Try as she might, there was no denying that his words had cut her worse than she had thought possible. Those green eyes and that perfect face of his were part of the cause but over the years, she'd been able to come to terms with the fact that looks weren't everything. It was his sweet and easy-going demeanour which she had found herself thinking back to fondly. She'd dared to hope that he missed them. Even as with every passing day without so much as a peep from their absent friend, she'd found herself wondering if he might have forgotten them. He hadn't. He just didn't want anything to do with them any more.

 _You've got your life. I've got mine._ Why did that hurt so much?!

It was with a deep breath that she reminded herself that there was something that still needed to be done. She retrieved her phone from her handbag. Wiping away her tears with the back of her hand, she started up a conversation between herself and her three best friends. The message was a simple one: "Cat's back. Meet tomorrow, park du Palais Royal.". Within five minutes she had three "yes" replies. Nothing else. She imagined that they would be chatting amongst themselves excitedly. She turned off her phone, ensuring that they couldn't trouble her with their questions. Not tonight. She still needed to gather her thoughts together.

Ideally, she would have liked to climb up onto her roof and contemplate the stars. Tonight however the clouds and rain prevented her from doing so. She chose instead to sit by the window, looking out over the city as it was rendered blurry by the rain and condensation on the glass. Despite everything, she couldn't help but wonder just what Adrien was doing. If he regretted what he'd said or if he truly believed his words…

There were many things which Adrien happened to be regretting at that particular minute: the fact that he was drenched to the bone, that the restaurant owner had forced him to sit on a chair where he couldn't possibly make a break for it and had him under near constant supervision from the chef, the fact that he had most definitely been recognised by at least three members of the public who had taken photos, then there was the small matter of him forgetting to bring any money with him which had prompted the owner to come close to calling the cops… Oh and he had just blown it big time with something so simple as meeting up with one of his old friends. Sitting there with his head on the counter, in part to try and shield his identity and also finding himself losing the will to live. He cursed both his luck and his own ineptitude.

Something heavy, a towel, was thrown over his head.

He groaned and dragged it off of himself, shooting the person responsible a glare which they paid no attention to. They were already explaining things to the owner. In a flash, the man went from seething to understanding. No doubt the offer of compensation for the disruption must have played a part. Whilst the newcomer dealt with the few customers who were responsible for the photos, he dried himself off to the best of his ability. The towel was more for show than anything else: an added little sting to let him know just how badly he had messed up. Within the next two minutes, the images were quickly removed from social media and to his astonishment, Adrien found himself being presented with profuse apologies. He had to hand it to her, she was good… He would no doubt have been more impressed were he not been desperate to salvage the last scraps of his dignity. The past half hour had worn out his sense of humour and ability to smile.

"So… You forgot that the modern world revolves around money then or were you hoping that a struggling fashion student would buy you dinner?" The woman asked him, keying her pincode as she settled up.

"Haha, very funny." He muttered, taking the towel under his arm as he prepared to leave.

"No. I'm curious." She joined him a moment later. "You asked for my help, after all."

"I messed up." It was a defeated sigh which he let out as they stepped out into the street.

"I'd gathered." She deployed her umbrella above her head but failed to offer him any shelter. "Are you planning on trying to make things up or should I assume that we won't be getting any visits any time soon from miss Dupain-Cheng?"

Adrien let out a heavy sigh. It had been so long since he had last set foot in the city, he found himself raising his gaze to the skyline in a way that he had so often done as a teen in the hopes of catching even the briefest glimpse of the girl who had stolen his heart, swinging from one roof to another with her yo-yo. It was a strange thing for him to hope for. He knew that she wouldn't be there. Paris didn't need Ladybug any more. It didn't need Cat Noir either but he had returned, lost and with nowhere else to go.

Turning back to his companion, he steeled his heart. This was a time for new beginnings. He should have seen it coming. His former friends would want back in, regardless of what it might cost them. He couldn't allow them to pay that price. If that meant playing the bad guy for a bit and being cold and unreasonable then so be it. Whilst his first instinct had been to go to Marinette, the girl he had inadvertently shared so much with, as he thought about it under the rain it occurred to him that it had been foolish. An act which the fourteen year old Adrien would have done and a mistake which the 24 year old wouldn't make again.

"Best she lives her life." He declared firmly. "She won't call but if she does, we don't answer. Understood?"

"Perfectly, sir. We give her the cold shoulder."

"Don't call me "sir" or "Mr. Agreste."." He requested, not angry but ensuring that she got the message that this was something he felt rather strongly about. "Feels like you're talking to my father."

"So, I should call you..?"

"Just 'Adrien'. It's what you always called me."

"Okay, Adrien." It sounds natural, not forced as if she's trying to get a point across. "So, are we heading home or would you rather try your best to get us both thrown behind bars again?"

He gave her an irritated look. After everything that had happened, he found that his usual good temper and patience was being tested. She must have known that as she didn't push things any further, becoming quiet once more as she waited for a reply. He let out a sigh, sticking his hands in his pockets. He took a deep breath, relaxing in the way that his master had tired to hard to teach him throughout those years he had spent in the temple: clear your mind, forget about everything else… Marinette Dupain-Cheng's heartbroken expression proved to be decidedly hard to remove from behind his eyes.

He let out a sigh, turning back to his companion. He was too tired to be thinking about such things right now.

"Let's just go home..."


	2. Walls and barbed wire

Marinette found herself grateful that it was Sunday. She'd sent the text last night in such an emotional state that she hadn't thought to check if her friends were busy or not. Whilst Chloe, working the way that she did (if it could be called that), wasn't exactly constrained by deadlines and shifts, the same couldn't be said of her other two friends. All had social lives and expectations to live up to. For her to send them a message at such a late hour requesting a meeting so early wasn't exactly the most considerate thing that she'd ever done. She blamed it on a mixture of her own exhaustion and the emotional stress that she'd been under.

She wasn't not surprised to find both Alya and Nino sitting on a park bench, waiting. This early in the morning, the garden of the Palais Royal was largely quiet. A few people, many of them tourists passed by but the shops surrounding them were almost all closed. Sundays were magical in France, even in the centre of Paris, most businesses still managed to shut. It did mean that they were able to find some seclusion in the otherwise bustling city streets.

They spotted her coming. She had made no attempt to conceal her presence or make a stealthy approach, not feeling the need to do so. Alya got up upon noticing her approach and gave her a wave, as if to signal their presence to her. She smiled, heading towards them. She made an effort to try to appear to be as relaxed as possible. Whilst she could imagine just how excited they were, she didn't want to get their hopes up. Equally, Adrien's sudden return could be perceived as a sign that something somewhere had gone terribly wrong. As she walked over, Marinette found herself regretting her actions. Not what she had done, her friends needed to be told but the ambiguous way that she had left things. It wasn't the most responsible thing that she had ever done.

"Oh my God girl!" Alya was quick to rush up to her, grabbing both of her arms as she did so. "You have got to tell me everything!"

"There's not much to tell..." She found herself grumbling bitterly.

"Maybe we should wait for Chloe…" Nino suggested glancing around the park.

"Good idea, that way be might be able to start in time for lunch!" His girlfriend couldn't help but roll her eyes at the notion.

"No! Wait, here she is!"

Marinette turned around to face the direction in which Nino was pointing. The surprise in his voice was evident. Chloe was never on time to one of their meetings, at least not before a certain time in the morning. She needed her beauty sleep, as she would constantly remind them. Sunday was the day of rest and it was essential if she wanted to avoid having any hideous bags under her eyes. They'd heard her excuses and reasoning so many times, they pretty much knew it all off by heart. Yet here she was, not exactly early but hardly late either. It was clear from her expression that she was somewhat concerned. They all were.

The sooner they could get this over and done with, the better.

"Unbelievable..." Alya couldn't help but mutter as they were finally joined by their last member.

"Quiet!" Chloe dismissed her with a wave of the hand before turning towards Marinette. "You said Adrikens was back?!"

She nodded a few times in silent agreement. She'd thought through in her head just what she was going to tell them. Inevitably their hopes would be up. They had all shared the dream of what would happen when/if their friend finally returned to them. None of it had involved what had occurred last night. There would no doubt be some concern as well as they found themselves wondering just what exactly could summon the young man back to them in such a way. Now that she found herself in front of him, all of her well thought out plan crumbled. She found herself nervous, hesitating. The words caught, refusing to come. She took a few deep breaths, surprised to find that her heart was beating quickly in her chest.

It took a few deep breaths for her to calm down enough to be able to think clearly and to express herself in a clear and succinct manner. She decided to present the facts and what had happened exactly as the events had occurred. There was no room for exaggeration or concealing anything. As such, the three former miraculous holders got practically an exact transcript of just what had passed between the other two mere hours earlier. The others listened in silence, sitting on the bench as she told them about the strange encounter which even now had left a bitter taste in her mouth.

Once he had finished, she encountered no questions or objections although she was certain that much like her, they would have plenty of the former. A considerable part of the young woman regretted her decision to run. It had been driven by emotion and disappointment. It had cost her the opportunity to be able to question him further. She still knew very little about just what he'd been up to or why he had chosen to return. All things that she now regretted as it left them considerably in the dark. He had changed, there was no denying that much but then they all had. It would be foolish to think that they were the same four fourteen year olds that he'd left behind that day. She didn't give a physical description of Adrien other than saying that he appeared to be well, it seemed somewhat unnecessary.

Marinette ended her tale with the moment that she'd left him, preferring not to go into too much detail about just how distraught he had left her. It was Nino, Adrien's closest friend, who finally spoke. He did so tentatively, as if he was unsure of his own words:

"So… He doesn't want to know us any more?"

"I don't know." Marinette confessed, allowing herself to sit down next to them with a defeated sigh. "That's what I thought but then he must have come looking for me… Why do that if he doesn't want to know us?"

She'd been angry and emotional last night. She'd realized that much upon waking up this morning. Part of it could no doubt be linked to the shock of seeing him after so long without so much as a warning. He had simply materialized there on the steps of her school with his charming smile and umbrella. She hadn't known how to react. It didn't change the things that she said but now as she stood there with her friends, she found herself wondering if she might have misunderstood or misinterpreted his intentions. She was kicking herself now for not asking for somewhat clearer ones. When she had, he had largely repeated himself. Did he want them out of his life or just away from the miraculouses? Now she had a doubt.

"It doesn't make any sense for him to come to Paris and then not to say "Hi" to me, I'm like his oldest friend!" Chloe was quick to add her own opinion.

"Yeah. It just doesn't make sense..." Nino agreed with her, shaking his head as he did so. "If he doesn't want anything to do with us, why tell us?!"

"Maybe he didn't want us coming looking for him." Marinette suggested before hesitating herself, adding. "-but then why take the risk of letting us know he was back in the first place?"

More questions but still no answers.

Everything about their interaction felt strange and made little sense. Her friends had raised some good questions. She found herself wondering just what was going through the young man's head. What had made him think that going to see her was a good idea? Would she have done the same in his shoes? It was impossible for her to say given that she didn't know what he'd been doing for the past decade. Was it possible that he was simply lonely and had gone looking for one of the few people he knew in the city and could trust with both parts of his secret identity.

"Then there's only one thing for it." Pushing herself off of the bench, Alya got to her feet, whipping her phone out as she went. "I did some research and there have been rumours about Agreste Mansion being occupied again."

"Meaning?" The maire's daughter raised an eyebrow.

"Kind of suspicious this coincides exactly with Adrien coming back… I say we go and ask him for answers!"

It was the sort of direct approach which they all periodically admitted they should have expected from Alya, someone who hadn't hesitated to risk to her own life during some of Paris' worst akuma attacks in the name of her famous Ladyblog. Somehow, she still managed to surprise them with her dynamism.

Dragging them all along with her seemed to be something of an effortless activity for the young woman. They were practically helpless, unable to object as they set off towards the Agreste mansion. It wasn't a place that any of them had ever dared venture near. In one of the back streets of the 8th district, it was easy to avoid. The building had become for a small period, something of a tourist attraction for those embarking on the "Ladybug tour". As time had gone on, it had lost its attractiveness however and now lay dormant. The Agreste company kept it maintained, should the heir to the company ever return but asides from a monthly clean, nobody passed through its doors. The former heroes of Paris disliked the place. It brought back too many bad memories. Even whilst occupied, it had seldom felt welcoming. As beautiful as the building was, all but one of the occupants were as cold as the stone and with malice hidden deep underneath. Without their old friend, they had no reason to return. It had become a symbol of everything that they had lost and suffered.

They stood before the imposing gates, staring up at the building and wondering, if somewhere in there was looking down at them. It was there that the group came to a stop. What now? Assuming anyone was in there, should they try and sneak in? Not easy, the mansion had some of the best security in the world, even for a Miraculous holder, it wasn't easy to get in when the place went into lock-down. For a group of four civilians, no matter how determined, even getting into the courtyard could prove to be near-impossible. As such, it was Marinette who very carefully pressed the buzzer. After all these years, was it even still working?

"How will we ever know if there's anyone home?" Nino asked the group, a thought that they all shared. "If Adrien's avoiding us, then-"

He didn't have enough time to finish his sentence as there was a sudden click and the gates opened, not much, just a crack. It was enough for one person to pass through, no more. They exchanged uncertain looks, unsure how to proceed. There was a certain "haunted house" feel about the invitation, as if there was no going back from this point.

With a deep breath, Marinette summoned her courage, clenching her fists and setting off. She was followed closely by her friends. As soon as they had passed through, the gates shut firmly behind them. Whilst she instinctively knew that it was to prevent any other intruders from getting in or the press realizing that there were now people back inside of the mansion, there was a part of her which couldn't help but wonder if they hadn't just been locked in. Whatever the case, it was too late to worry as the group continued to travel forwards towards the main door. They climbed the marble steps, looking around in search of any sign of life. They encountered none, everything seemed to be impossibly still, as if time itself had been frozen.

The door opened suddenly. It wasn't a violent motion but a firm one which opened it fully allowing them to see right inside the house. A tall woman stood before them, her expression austere and unwelcoming. They recognized it in an instant:

"Nathalie?!"

There was no mistaking that it was her. It was very difficult to recreate that cold and emotionless look behind her eyes. It made her seem more machine than woman at times. They could have been faced with her from a decade ago, very little had changed. Time seemed to have been kind to Gabriel Agreste's former assistant. All she had to show for the years that she endured was a few somewhat deeper lines around her face. How old was she? It was a question which Marinette found herself unable to answer. Using logic, she estimated that at this point the woman had to be somewhere in her mid-forties, if not a little older.

"I suppose you're all here for Adrien?" She spoke formally, seeming unsurprised by their presence.

"He's here? With you?" Nino peered behind the woman, as if trying to catch a glimpse of his old friend.

"Come inside."

They did as they were told. Nathalie was quick to close the door behind them once they were in, no doubt still weary of journalists. They found that the inside of the building had scarcely changed. It was clean, well looked after. Even after all these years, the entry to the Agreste's house remained impressive. Nathalie didn't linger however, walking through towards the dining room. They didn't object, following diligently. Marinette found herself half-hoping to see Adrien waiting for them. They were instead greeted by yet another empty space. If the young man was here, he was making himself very scarce indeed.

The former assistant gestured for them to sit around the table. Present on the table, seemingly waiting for them was a teapot, they could smell its contents from where they were: ginger and something else… It was far from unpleasant. Once all of the assembled group were all seated, Nathalie joined them, settling opposite them so that it now resembled something of a head to head. It was hard for their attention not to drift up towards the portrait which dominated the room. As beautiful as it was, it could only send a shiver down their spines as they found themselves remembering just what the woman depicted had put them through before finally being brought to justice.

"Tea?"

The offer shook them out of their own thoughts, causing all to accept without really thinking about it. It was still hot having obviously just been brewed. That seemed to imply that whoever was responsible had known that they were going to have company. Either that or they were exceptionally fond of tea to have prepared this much. Marinette suddenly found herself almost entirely certain that Adrien was here, most likely watching them. They were dealing with Nathalie right now, much in the same way that people in the past had been forced to deal with her when trying to reach the boy's father. She was most definitely a formidable opponent. That much was evident by the cold and detached way which she fixed each of them as she served them their beverage.

"So where is he?!" Chloe was the first to snap, her demanding tone having never changed in all the years that Marinette had known her.

"10.42 am." The woman glanced down at her watch. "He'll be training."

"Training for what?" A raised eyebrow was a sure sign of Alya's suspicion.  
"To keep fit so that he's ready in case the world needs Cat Noir, at least that's what he told me when I asked the same question."

"He knows we're here, doesn't he?" Marinette glanced around, again expecting to find him somewhere.

"Of course." Nathalie remained unmoved. "Who do you think authorized you to come in?"

"So where is he?"

There was a slight cutting edge to Marinette's tone as she spoke, letting the woman know that she wasn't up for any fun and games. They locked eyes for a moment. Curiously, she found little combativeness behind Nathalie's gaze. They had discovered to their own expense that the Agreste family secretary could be every bit as formidable as her employers, sometimes even more so. Today however whilst she remained determined. It wasn't out of an eagerness to fight. Most likely, she'd been told by Adrien what to do and was simply following orders. That meant that they might be able to get something out of her after all. The woman blew on her tea for a few seconds, more as a distraction than to actually cool it down before letting out a sigh and sitting back in her chair:

"He doesn't want to see you. Any of you."

Ouch. That hurt. Marinette didn't have any reason to argue however. When she'd first seen Nathalie, she'd had her doubts, wondering if the woman might somehow be manipulating their old friend. That notion had been dismissed however with some thought. Given that they knew the woman was far from a fool, it was hard to imagine why she would present herself if she had any sinister motivations knowing that her presence was only likely to make them more suspicious. No, it would seem that Adrien was keen to cut his ties with his former life, save for one. Just why he seemed to have trusted the woman who had played such an active part in their struggles a decade ago was the young woman but she was here and apparently speaking for her former enemy.

Next to her, she noticed the others tense up as if they had been stung. The confusion vanished replaced instead by indignation.

"No way, dude!" The notion was dismissed by a wave of Nino's hand. "Adrien's our friend! If he really was here, he'd come see us!"

"You can tell yourself that if you want, it doesn't make it true." Nathalie remained as ever unfazed, totally at ease with the prospect of conflict.

"If that's true-" Alya narrowed her eyes as she spoke. "Then what are you doing here?"

"He turned up on my doorstep two months ago. I didn't even recognize him..."

The woman told them the tale of how towards the end of August, one warm evening, the doorbell to her apartment had rung. It never rung. She never received visitors. Confused, she had opened the door to find herself faced with a young man with short hair, likely not long shaved on her doorstep. He was dirty and hadn't shaved in a few days, having evidently been living rough but perhaps not for a long time. She'd thought he was lost or maybe begging but not trouble. He had seemed very confused, as if he didn't quite know what he was doing there. Against her better judgement, she'd let him in. Why? She didn't know, just something about the stranger had told her to trust him and that it was safe. It had only been when he'd spoken her name that she'd realized just who she was faced with. Adrien Agreste was back in Paris.

More than that, he had needed her assistance. She had accepted and here they were.

"So you just gave up your job and came here?" Alya raised an eyebrow, still dubious.

"You try working at a 24/7 shop checkout in that neighbourhood for two years." The woman's voice turned a little bitter. "I can guarantee it broadens the mind to other possibilities."

"Well that's your fault for being a bad guy." Chloe took a certain amount of pride in pointing out the fact.

"I wasn't aware of that, thank you for reminding me." Again, Nathalie's tone had changed, letting them know that this was a somewhat sensitive subject for her.

Marinette struggled with the urge to put her face in her hands. This was precisely why she hadn't wanted to come here. Granted, there was no way of knowing that they would encounter Nathalie but had they been faced with Adrien himself, she reckoned that they would have been in largely the same situation. He didn't want to see them. That much was obvious. Whatever had driven him to seek her out last night, it had been a passing folly. He must have regretted his actions by this point and had asked his new assistant, more experienced with this sort of thing to deal with his former friends, no doubt sensing that they would come running. So the young woman remained quiet, already realizing that it was pointless.

Her friends argued for a good half hour more. They tried numerous approaches: pleading, demanding and even bordering on the threats. Still, Nathalie remained unmoved. She wouldn't tell them where he was nor demand that he show himself. She stood her ground firmly, not once raising her voice.

"I can't tell you why he came back because I don't know. All I can tell you is that he wants what's best for you and that's for you to get on with your lives!"

"Fine!" Chloe got to her feet, almost knocking her chair over as she did so. "If you want tell us where he is! We'll just have to find him."

"No need. I'm right here!"

Just when he had materialized in the doorway Marinette couldn't have said but his sudden presence took them all by surprise. It made the group jump, abandoning their chairs and tea. Adrien stood before them, tall and proud. His posture, so straight and rigid almost reminded the group of the way his father had always presented himself when before them. There wasn't the same arrogant contempt behind his gaze however but one look into his green eyes let them know that he was just as determined as Nathalie was. He didn't speak but just stood there, making his presence felt. All his former friends could do was stare, silently begging him to say something, anything to explain himself.

Finally, it was Nathalie who chose to speak. She got to her feet, standing behind the three guests so as to face her employer:

"Shall I escort them out sir."

"They can do that themselves, thank you Nathalie." His gaze drifted back from the assistant to them. "Leave. All of you."

"Come on, du-"

"No. You need to stop thinking of us as all being friends, that's in the past. Get on with your lives and forget about me. Don't make me say it again."

His voice was strangely unemotional as he spoke, cool and detached as if it meant nothing to him. It was almost enough to bring tears to Marinette's eyes. She fought them however. Instead, driven by some strange force, she found herself simply nodding slowly a few times. Very slowly, she lead the others out. She could sense the feeling of betrayal, anger and confusion coming from them but chose to ignore it. What mattered was getting her friends out and respecting Adrien's wishes. They were intruders here… Something had changed, she didn't know what but the friend they had once known and the young man they had hoped to find were two very different people. Glancing over her shoulder, as they exited the gates, she tried to get one last look but instead found herself faced only with the assistant, already shutting the door to the mansion.

Once more, she found herself locked out. The stone walls and iron fence being the least of the obstacles in her way. The only thing that made it easier was the knowledge that she wasn't about to try and overcome them...

 _/_

 _Thanks for the reviews!_


	3. Heart to heartless

It was with a familiar exasperated sigh that Nathalie greeted the realization that the day wasn't any longer drawing to a close so much as a new one was already getting into its swing. Already, she could hear the traffic beginning to pick up outside in the street. It was with a shake of the head that she brought herself to, gradually becoming increasingly aware of her surroundings. Something had disturbed her from her sleep. Her neck was a little stiff. She found herself with her face against the desk. Her shoulders informed her that she'd indeed fallen asleep here. Her coat had however been placed over her shoulders, keeping her warm. A still steaming cup of coffee confirmed her suspicion that she had indeed received a visitor.

She checked her watch, 6.27am. Yes, he would be home by now. She was going to assume that his visit was recent on account of the still warm cup. He might even have been the one to wake her up. She's awake now. A couple of swigs of caffeine was enough to give her the ability to get up. She keeps her jacket slung over her shoulders however. As it was getting into December, the mansion was no longer all that warm. She made her way out from her office and into the dining room. The portrait of Emilie Agreste continued to cast a looming shadow over the room. Those eyes of hers, which her son had inherited, almost seemed to follow people around the room. Even for Nathalie, it was enough to get her to shudder. Still, until they find a way to hide the secret code for the lift, the painting's going to have to stay.

She descended, mug still held in both her hands. She knew that the attic wasn't the warmest place in the world.

She emerged into the room. Adrien had reclaimed this place as his own. For some reason, it was the one part of this building which he couldn't stand. Naturally that meant that he now spent a large part of his time confined inside of its walls. He had removed all traces of his parents' nefarious activities, filling it with what few possessions he had. As it now stood, it looked like some bizarre cross between a shrine and a dojo. It was here that he chose to store everything relating to the life that he had lead in Tibet, including the miraculouses which lay on a low table, just next to a small statue of Buddha.

Her eyes drifted over to the figure of the young man. It was impossible not to be impressed by his shows of strength and flexibility. When she had first encountered him, he'd been eager to show off to her, like a child who'd just learned a new trick at school and wanted nothing more than to demonstrate it to their parents. Whilst sports had never been exactly something that she found thrilling, the assistant had none-the-less admired the skills which the young man had taken away from the temple. At least initially. After a month, she had grown somewhat accustomed to them, having discovered that they tended to be repetitive. Now, she barely even paid any attention to him as he carried out his daily routine.

She found him practising his punches. When she'd first seen the young man with a saw in hand, several pieces of wood and some leather padding, she'd wondered if perhaps he'd taken up carpentry. It had only been after she'd watched him dealing out some blows that she'd twigged that the constructs were supposed to represent an actual human being. Others, sandbags apparently which now hung suspended from the ceiling were simply designed to be hit. Settling down, the assistant chose to watch him in silence. He would know that she was there. Acknowledgement didn't always come initially, especially when he had something else on his mind. This morning, was one such case. She probably watched him repeat the same motion for about five minutes before finally choosing to break the silence:

"Before 7am really?"

"Wake up 5am. Warm ups. Sit ups." Between each statement, he managed to get in a powerful punch, knocking the bag backwards. "Run. Breakfast. Combat training. Work. Lunch. Ancient studies. More physical training. Dinner. Prayer. Bed. Repeat."

"Fun..."

She caught sight of his somewhat irritated look. He was too polite to tell her to leave and mind her own business. He still hadn't taken his eyes off of the punching bag, repeating the same motion again and again, with the same amount of force. The chain holding it in place squeaked loudly with each of his blows. She didn't know exactly how hard he was hitting it. From what she could tell, he seemed to be holding back, concentrating more on the way that he struck as opposed to the force with which he dealt the blow. At any rate, she reasoned that it would be best for her (and anyone else) to be on the wrong side of one of his fists.

He tried his best to ignore her, that much was often. She could read his expression, he was failing pitifully to forget that he wasn't alone. There was something on his mind, quite a lot actually. He just didn't want to talk about it. Finally, after about two minutes, he dared to speak to her once more:

"I don't like it when you fall asleep at your desk."

"Well, this might come as a surprise but it's how work gets done." She informed him, raising an eyebrow knowingly. "You should appreciate that Mr. 5am jog."

"You work too hard." He landed another punch. The woman knew that his concern for her well-being was genuine.

"I like work." A true statement but they've had enough small talk. "It keeps me focused, which seems like something you could do with."

"Tell me about it, he's been a sulking since Marinette dumped him!"

Out of the corner of the room came Plagg. The kwami was never too far from his partner. Not exactly a blessing. Whilst he was at least someone else to talk to, he was anything but a good influence on Adrien. At best, the little creature was something of a pest (at least that was all he amounted to in her considerations) at worst, he could be downright dangerous and a potential threat to their secrecy. His assurances that he couldn't be photographed or recorded were of little comfort to the assistant who dedicated a sizeable portion of her time each day to ensuring that their current whereabouts remained unknown. To discover that her boss was ordering not just cheese to their doorstep but Camembert of the finest quality. She objected not only to the smell but the specific nature of the order. Bizarrely, Adrien Agreste had the reputation for being extremely fond of the stuff, even although nobody had ever seen him eat it. No doubt, someone somewhere would twig that he was back in town. They already had, it was only a matter of time until Paris was abuzz with the news and they had paparazzi climbing the walls.

In the meantime, she found herself distracted by the abrupt violence with which he slammed his fist into the bag. Irritation but not quite anger drove him to act in such a way:

"She didn't dump me!" His tone was almost childish.

"Sure sounded like it." There was a teasing behind Plagg's words which didn't escape Nathalie.

"We weren't even dating for her to dump me!" The young man argued back, snapping at the creature. He took a breath before calming down. "That's not what you wanted to talk to me about."

"No…" Her voiced trailed off as she saw no reason to lie. "Adrien, I'm going to be frank-"

He nodded slowly, understanding that this was going to be something of a serious matter. She considered herself fortunate that the young man was so easy to deal with. Being reasonable and patient were two ideal qualities for a boss in her books. He could be stubborn, there was no denying it but at least she got the feeling that he was listening to her (which hadn't always been the case with his parents). Her words weren't lost on him, even if he might disagree. He turned around, flexing his biceps for a moment, eager to get the tension out before heading towards a large bowl of water. There, he splashed some over his face. Next to it, he picked up a towel and dried himself back down. Once he was finished, he turned back to face her, giving her his full and undivided attention.

Nathalie took another sip of her coffee before continuing:

"I think you're making a mistake."

"You do?" He seemed to know exactly what she was referring to.

"I do. How long do you think you're going to be able to keep this up?" It was a genuine question. "Now, I know you have your routine but that's not going to be enough."

"I have you and Plagg." Was his argument, as if somehow the two of them would be enough.

"Adrien, I don't know how to break this to you but a tiny black destructive cat with a cheese fetish and a 48 year old ex-con aren't an appropriate social circle for a young man like yourself."

"I can trust you. What else do I need?"

"People your own age, with your own interests. After all those years trying to get away and fighting to get to school, you're seriously planning on living the rest of your life cooped up in the attic?"

Adrien let out a sigh and began to toy with his ring. Nathalie bit her lip metaphorically, struggling not to take the opportunity to remind him about the importance of a poker face. He'd lived a life of isolation in Tibet, she knew that much. There had been no need for secrets or deception. It wasn't the same here. If he was ever to get back to living a regular life, he would have to get a hand on all the little tics and other various tells that he had developed otherwise the press and people in general would walk all over him. It would have to be a lesson for another day however. Right now, she was rather more inclined to deal with the current issue which was her new employer isolating himself from the rest of the world. Up until recently, it hadn't posed a problem, quite the opposite, she was rather glad that he was inclined to lie low. Now however, things were gradually changing.

She let the young man think for a moment, try to come up with some sort of an answer or at least an explanation. She was willing to hear it and if it was convincing, to go along with it and even help him.

"Maybe that's for the best..."

"Is it? I saw you pushing them away, don't try to pretend it didn't hurt." Her eyes narrowed, eager to get down to business. "Why did you do it?"

"They have their own lives now… It's stupid but it hadn't occurred to me. I should never have gone to see Marinette, it was selfish. I can't stop being a guardian and I can't keep it out of my life. I don't want them to get wrapped up in all that stuff again. It's not safe."

"Not safe how? You defeated Hawk Moth and Mayura." A fact that she knew she didn't need to remind their son of. "Is there something else out there I should worry about?"

"I don't know." Adrien shrugged his shoulders. "I once asked Master the same thing. He said that throughout history there had always been need for the guardians."

"There sure has!" Plagg agreed hovering by his partner's face. "This world always seems to need saving."

Hardly comforting. Nathalie had rather hoped to put most of the supernatural stuff behind her. She could live with the kwami, as irritating as he was. Adrien's somewhat unconventional behaviour was another thing which she could put up. Getting put in life-threatening danger on an almost daily basis was not something which she had signed up for. For a moment, the assistant contemplated questioning him further on the matter. She didn't know what had caused him to return to Paris. It was in many ways a foolish decision. The woman had only been able to theorize as to just what would drive him to do such a thing. Running away from a threat of some kind had crossed her mind. Thankfully, she knows the young man well enough to know that's not likely to be the cause:

"You obviously don't think the danger's that great otherwise you wouldn't have asked for my help."

"That's true."

"I do love these vows of yours." She noted impressed by just how far he seemed to be taking them. "Now, how about we both treat each other like grown adults and you tell me why you're behaving the way you are."

"Okay. I don't know, alright?!" It was through clenched teeth, betraying his frustration that he spoke. "I messed up big time but I don't know what to do! How can I let them back in after everything that happened? Being a miraculous holder, it's meant to be a full-time responsibility. I can't ask them to give up their lives."

Nathalie chose to give him a few moments in order to regain control of his temper. Having to deal with Emilie had given her the experience required to tackle the woman's son. Their anger was brief but terrible. It was a fool who stood in their way. Adrien was nowhere near that level of blinding rage. He was however irritated enough that a voice in the back of the assistant's head told her to tread carefully. She considered her next move, planning two steps ahead. It was a game of chess which she intended to win. Her ultimate endgame remained somewhat hazy, even to her. What she knew she couldn't do was allow things to continue the way that they were. After so many years in the Agreste household, she felt that she could see just where this current path was going to lead them. After all, she'd seen it before.

Adrien's motivations as far as she could tell were noble ones. She felt that she could understand where he was coming from. Whether or not he was aware of their consequences was something which she wasn't quite so sure about. A part of the secretary told her that he was likely acting on impulse, driven by emotion rather than having actually thought any of this out. These past few weeks had already taught her that the young man was frightfully unprepared. She gave him a few more moments before asking once more:

"And your solution is to become an asshole?"

The remark had the desired effect: Adrien's eyes widened considerably. He stood there, stiff, unsure how to respond. There was something comical about his expression: startled, like a deer in the headlights. Plagg, for his part was trying his best to conceal his amusement, hiding his laughter behind his paws. It was nice to know that even after all of these years, she still had the power to render people into silence. It was a talent which she had been forced to call upon a few times in these past few years, albeit not as much as she had done in her youth, in truth, she had missed it somewhat.

The young man blushed, averting his gaze for a few moments. Evidently, she had taken him by surprise. Good. It took him a few moments to regain his composure, a solemn expression took the place of embarrassment.

"You want to leave?" It was an assumption more than a question.

"Not at all! Don't worry about me, I'm more than used to dealing with anti-social types. I worked for your father for fifteen years after all."

"I can't believe you used to talk to _him-"_ Even after a decade, there was still plenty of bitterness behind Adrien's tone. "-like this."

"I didn't but then he wasn't half my age and I'd never had to change any of his diapers."

Nathalie kept an entirely straight face despite her statement. The same couldn't be said for Adrien. His childhood was something that had been seldom brought up in the family. As such, he had been able to escape many of the embarrassing tales which were often told. She was one of the few people on the planet who would know any such stories, having witnessed a good few in person and for the most part, the assistant was more than content to keep them to herself. From time to time however, when she deemed it useful, she would bring a few matters up around the young man which she knew would get the colour rising to his cheeks. Sometimes, he needed to be reminded just where the two of them stood in regards of one another.

For the second time in about a minute, the guardian struggled to return to a somewhat regular state. His composure was gone almost completely. Unlike his father and mother, Adrien had never possessed the gift of being able to conceal his emotions. It made him something of an open book. In short, he wasn't in her league when it came to these verbal bouts. It wasn't a skill he'd ever been required to perfect. Perhaps with some schooling, he would be able to keep up but until then, Nathalie found it relatively easy to run rings around him. He eventually opted for the classic "clearing throat routine" in order to regain his composure before requesting:

"Lets never go there again, shall we?"

"I won't if you don't." She promised before frowning intending to get to the point. "As you've probably guessed, I disapprove of your current course of action."

"Yeah well, it's too late now." He let out a sigh, choosing to adjust the bandages wrapped around his knuckles, tightening them.

"I think you underestimate the power of the apology." Nathalie replied continuing to fix him, daring the young man to look her in the eye. "At least say that you'll think about it."

His silence lingered. She needed his word. Given how important that had become to him along with always telling the truth, Nathalie would be able to rest easily if she knew that he would at least contemplating contacting his friends. She knew the young man too well to think that he might have been being vindictive. She could understand his reasoning and therefore knew that it would be somewhat complicated to convince him to rethink the stance that he had decided to adopt. He was unfortunately certain that his actions were in his friends' best interests. Selfless as it was, she intended to do what she could to change things around here. As such, she ensured that she stood there, a stern look on her face, ready to wait the whole day if it would mean getting a response from him.

"Okay..." He let out in a defeated sigh, lowering his head.

"Thank you."

"Is that all?" The young man asked, raising his eyebrow.

"No." She shook her head. "Neither the leak in the bathroom upstairs which means we have no hot water nor the matter of your public image have gone away since the last time that you said you'd deal with them later."

"Ah." His discontented grumble was almost comical in its reluctance.

"Yes. I know it's not something you want to face but you're running out of time. I'm already spending half my day trying to stamp out the rumours that you're back in town. That's time I couldn't be using to sort out your company! Sooner or later, some member of the press is going to get a lucky snap and all hell is going to break lose."

She let some of her irritation show, after a little over two months of the young man's company, the novelty was slowly beginning to wear off. She had some grievances which she would never have dreamed of bringing to his parents' attention had they been the ones employing her at the moment. Unlike Adrien, she had been dealing with this sort of thing for most of her life. It was her profession, she knew when it would end badly. Gabriel had been able to pull off a life of isolation, it added to his persona of mystery which so fascinated the press. That was before the mask had come off, as had that of his wife. Their son couldn't play the same game, not without the risk of having all of Paris at his back.

He let out a sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose, already fed up to the back teeth with the subject. Adrien wanted a life of peace and tranquillity. She knew that he was going to have to fight for it.

"So what do I do?"

"The way I see it, we have three options: hide, run or fight. You can stay cooped up in here and hope that the press eventually get bored but I wouldn't count on that, at least not for a good few months. You could just call it quits and head back to Tibet or alternatively, you could face the outside world and show them who you really are."

He was silent, chewing her words over thoughtfully. She made no attempt to interrupt, preferring to finish off what little remained of her drink before it was cold. It was still early enough for her to be relatively relaxed about her work schedule. Adrien would resume his daily routine with the same enthusiasm and commitment. Until then, there was enough time to think. One way or another, they were going to have to come up with some manner of a strategy. The young man scratched at his chin for a few moments. Next to him, Plagg contemplated his partner with genuine interest, eager to see just where all of this was going. His gaze flicked back towards her, green orbs brighter, sparkling with interest:

"And just how would I do that?"

For the first time, Nathalie dared to smile. A knowing smirk tugged at the corners of her mouth, a sure sign that she did indeed have a plan.

 ** _/_**

 ** _A.N.: Thanks for the reviews._**


	4. Old cat, new tricks

A single drop of blood made its way down Marinette's finger. She yelped, cursing before instinctively putting it into her mouth. It wasn't the first time that she had been careless with a needle. As a seamstress and designer, she was somewhat accustomed to this sort of wound. Her tools were sharp, they had to be to do their job. Generally, she would hurt herself for one of three reasons: ambition by trying to make an especially difficult cut or stitch, impatience or carelessness. Today it was her wit which wasn't up to the task. Her mind was constantly wandering as it had been for a while now. She knew the cause, much as she might try to deny it, even to herself.

A pair of green eyes and a handsome face were to blame.

Adrien haunted her. Not in the same way as he had done as a teenager. She was relatively confident that her crush was now well and truly terminated. It was hard to feel anything for someone who had made it so obvious that he didn't want them in his life. For some reason however, she wasn't quite able to banish him from her mind altogether as she would have liked to. Some nostalgia was part of the problem, that had never been called into any doubt. When he had turned up on the steps of her university, umbrella in hand and with a welcoming smile, she had dared to dream that things might have gone back to the way that they were. They would be back to being Ladybug and Cat Noir once more or at the very least be able to chat about it. His actions and motivations remained confusing to her. Even Nathalie, she was still trying to process just what the woman was doing back in the Agreste household, had appeared to be unsure about the young man's motivations or reasoning.

There was no sense crying over spilled milk, she tried telling herself. They had coped well-enough over the course of a decade without him. Surely, they could ignore him easily enough, especially if he intended to spend his days cooped up in the mansion. So far, the experiment was a failure. It had gotten to the extent that the group of four friends whom he'd left behind were actively avoiding talking to one another, at least until they were able to do so without bringing up the subject of Adrien Agreste.

He was a figure of such confusion that they had spent literally hours discussing him, wondering what he had been doing and what was causing to act as he was. They had verged on the conspiracy, wondering if someone, somewhere might be manipulating him somehow. The idea had largely been dismissed. If that was the case, they reasoned, they would likely have made their presence felt by now in the same way that Hawk Moth had. At least that was what they hoped. The fact that all they could do was generate hypothesises which they couldn't prove one way or another had inevitably lead to frustration. Now, their former friend had become a figure of resentment. Let him isolate himself, they would do more than alright without him.

So why was he impossible to ignore? Try as she might, there was no forgetting about the young man. He haunted her both day and night.

Something felt wrong. She couldn't quite put her finger on it. His attitude seemed so different to the young man they had left, it was proving to be hard to believe that they were the same person. They weren't. It was something that the four friends had brought up more than once, ten years had passed. Even leaving Master Fu and the young man's uncommon upbringing to one side, the chances of him being exactly the same as the fourteen year old they had known were slim. Perhaps, even without the physical separation they would have grown apart. Right now, Marinette found herself longing to believe that. The simplest conclusion was that somewhere along the line, their companion had turned into something of a jerk. Whilst there was a part of her (which paled into comparison with Alya's journalistic instinct) which wanted to investigate further so as to discover just what was motivating him, right now, the young woman just wanted to ignore him and get on with her life. She had spent far too much time pining over Adrien Agreste. It was time to get on with her own life.

Her phone bleeped, informing her that she had just received a text. Marientte glanced at it. Alya, urgent apparently. Odd. She was just in the process of putting the vest that she had been working on back on the mannequin when it went off again. Initially, she assumed that it was simply her friend sending her the details. It wasn't it was Juleka of all people. Then Rose, Ivan, Marc, a few of her friends from college… She raised an eyebrow, approaching the device curiously. She picked it up, reading the first few words just as a frantic voice called her from the bottom of the stairs:

"Marinette! Come quickly! You've got to see this!"

 _Adrien's back._

How could they possibly know? She didn't contemplate the matter any further. Instead rushing downstairs. It wasn't like her mother the call her in such a manner over nothing. Naturally, she knew that it must have been something important. She was awake enough to link it with the messages that her friends were sending her. She found her parents in the living room, they were sitting on the couch, staring at the screen intently. It was Nadia's program, Face to Face… No… It wasn't called that any more. Whilst the name of the show didn't immediately pop into her mind, Marinette knew that it was generally something to do with interviewing celebrities of one kind or another. A chat-show, for lack of a better term. Jagged Stone had made more than one appearance on it. She'd probably only watched it half a dozen times or so, usually in support of its host more than anything else.

She was just finishing the introduction. Confident and charming as always, the host maintained a pleasant smile as she spoke.

"So without further ado, introducing our special guest, back in Paris for the first time in a decade: Adrien Agreste!"

Marinette's heart skipped a beat. She had known what to expect, at least in part. Things had started to click as soon as she'd associated whatever her parents thought was so important for her to see on television with her friends' texts. Still, seeing the young man sitting there was a shock to the system. It didn't even occur to the young woman to wonder about just what he was playing at presenting himself in front of the city, likely the nation in such an open-manner given how eager he had been to hide. Instead, all she could do was stand there and stare, as the image of the young man on the screen swallowed her entire attention.

Nathalie had done her work well. She could have been doing her old friend an injustice but she felt that someone with a little more experience who was somewhat more skilled at manipulation was behind this. Gabriel's former assistant was in many ways a ferocious woman. Gone was the boy and here was the man. His grey shirt was smart but not so formal as to make him appear strict or stuck-up. It must have cost a fortune, he kept the top few buttons undone, exposing just the beginning of his muscular chest. Not a strand of his golden hair was out of place. The ultimate aesthetic goal was obvious. To make hearts flutter and remind people just why Adrien's face had once been plastered all over the city. He looked rich, handsome and proud, the sort of young man who would gets hearts beating simply from being around him. He wore a slight smile at the corner of his lips, as he waited patiently.

He was calm. His posture was one which spoke of being relaxed, leaning back in the armchair, with his arms spread out. As he was introduced, he gave a slight wave to the camera with his right hand. Green orbs turned to face the camera so that it seemed as if the young man was looking directly at the spectators. His gentle expression was a thousand times different from the coldness that she and her friends had found themselves faced with when they had confronted him at his mansion only a few days ago…

Nadia turned to him, eager to begin their interview:

"So, Adrien… Why come back?"

Straight in with the big questions. Marinette was expecting her to ask just where he had been. Instead, there was some aggression there, a reminder that not all of the city's inhabitants were thrilled to see an Agreste back in town. It wasn't in the tone, Nadia was too experienced a journalist to let her own feelings or opinions taint the course of the discussion, especially so early on in the discussion. Instead, it was the implication which came across as hostile. Why come back when his parents had been responsible for the plague of misfortune and suffering which had afflicted the capital for so long. Even now, she could remember the fury from some of the inhabitants, demanding that the _whole_ family be tried for their crimes.

He had been lucky to escape.

Despite the comment, Adrien smiled. It wasn't a smug show of his own perceived superiority at having been able to elude the crowds. It seemed gentle, understanding the rage of the city his parents had wronged. When he spoke, it was softly. He sounded confident but somehow earnest, as if he believed every word that he was pronouncing. Given his vows, Marinette reminded herself, he probably had little voice other than to speak the truth.

"Paris is my home. I was born here and I believe this is where I belong."

"Of course, you realize not everyone would agree with you."

"I know. I'm aware that many people think that I forfeit my right to call this city "home" when I left it." He didn't even pause much as he spoke, somehow, it came across as natural as opposed to him simply reciting a text he had been forced to learn. "I'm going to say it right now: Parisiens have every right to be angry."

That statement seemed to catch Nadia off-guard. Perhaps she had been expecting more of a combative approach from the young man. Gabriel had never been an easy person to tackle being at the best taciturn and frequently offensive when put in the public eye. His son was proving to be different: gentle, kind and seemingly honest, just as he had been as a teenager. She raised an eyebrow quizzically, no doubt expecting something more of an explanation from the young man. There was a slight crease in Adrien's brow now, he lowered his gaze fixing the floor, appearing somewhat troubled for a few moments. Was it an act? At that point, Marinette honestly couldn't have said. He let out a heavy sigh, eyes raising once more to meet those of the reporter.

"I promised you the whole truth as a part of this, didn't I?"

"Yes. That was the deal." Nathalie spoke with a soft smile, urging him on. "You've never spoken publicly about any of the events involving your parents and the akumas."

"No but then I haven't really been in France to be able to do so." Throwing his head back to look at the ceiling, Adrien continued to speak. "It's not a part of my life that I like to think back to."

"You're ashamed of it?"

"Of course. What my parents did – I still struggle to believe it sometimes myself – was inexcusable. They acted for their own selfish reasons and all I can say is that I'm glad Ladybug put a stop to their plans."

"And Cat Noir."

"Of course."

"Now the question everyone's been asking Adrien, I'm sure you know what it is."

"I can guess: they want to know if I had anything to do with it?" The woman nodded once, confirming his assumption. "I can honestly say that I had no idea who my parents were and what they were doing. I guess people might struggle to believe that, given my mother's sudden "reapparance" and everything. I was fourteen, naive, I was just so happy to have her back in my life so I didn't ask any questions..." There was a slight pause, heavy with its implications. "I never asked any questions..."

Despite everything that had happened Marinette couldn't help but feel a twinge of compassion for her old friend. As much as he had tried to hide it from them, from time to time, it had become clear that Adrien was far from happy with his home life. Just the odd word here or there, a sad and longing look when he saw a family together and enjoying themselves: a painful reminder of what he was missing. She'd never known the details. None of them had. Even before everything about the terrible Agreste secret had come to life, there had been whispers about what went on behind the massive gates of the mansion. The teen's friends had only been able to guess as to what things were like for him. In truth, even after the masks had fallen, they were still largely none-the-wiser.

There was a brief pause that settled in. Nothing very noticeable but the subject seemed to have drifted onto something a little bit more touchy where even the host would have to tread cautiously. She opened her mouth briefly but seemed to think better of it. It didn't go unnoticed by Adrien, the young man frowned, not hostile but picking up on the hesitation:

"You were going to ask me something?"

"Yes." She spoke slowly, choosing each of her words cautiously. "You're aware that there have been a lot of rumours running around at the time and since, concerning abuse."

"Those are false, my parents were strict but they never-" Adrien's strong, assertive tone vanished in an instant, his eyes widening. They were left with a break, silent, as if he'd suddenly drifted into another plain of existence. It only lasted a second before he was back with them, graver, more solemn. "The worst pain they ever inflicted on me was their betrayal. They chose to attack Paris, my home and my friends. I will never forgive them for that."

He meant it. There was a cold fire behind his green eyes which spoke of someone who had been wronged in all the worst possible ways and who was not about to forget who had been responsible for his suffering. There could be no doubting that he had endured a lot, too much for even his patience. If the message he had been trying to send had been that he wasn't to be compared to his parents, then it was as clear as day. Just where Adrien's loyalties lay was curiously never something which had ever crossed Marinette's mind, Cat Noir had been willing to give his life to stop Hawk Moth and Mayura's scheme. It was the rest of Paris who had had doubts about him, not his friends or even many of those who had known him, the notion of such a kind-hearted soul being evil had seemed abhorrent to many.

The next few questions were somewhat more gentle in their nature. They wanted to know just how he had escaped Paris and just where he had been spending the past few years of his life. It was something which intrigued Marinette. She doubted he would give an honest answer, which in itself was amusing given that she found herself remembering that he was notionally meant to avoid lying. She was eager to see just how he would manage to get himself out of the situation without breaking one of his vows. She should have guessed that he would already have thought about that much, probably rehearsing potential credible responses with Nathalie. In short: he had been ushered out of the country by some of those who cared about him the very night that his parents had been arrested, he'd spent the past decade in China with a "private tutor" generally avoiding the rest of the world. Half-truths, certainly not a lie but also not the whole story. It was about as much as he could get away with whilst also being truthful.

The next interesting subject of debate following his plans for the Agreste company which he had just officially taken over was that of Nathalie: another bone of contention as far as parisiens were concerned:

"What about the rumours that Nathalie Sancoeur is back in your household? Is she working for you again?"

"Those rumours are true. She's back living and working with me."

"Some might question why you're eager to involve yourself with someone who confessed to knowing full-well who Hawk Moth and Mayura were and in assisting them." Nadia's point was actually something which Marinette found herself agreeing with. "If not sure if you heard about her trial but she didn't exactly show any remorse."

"I can understand why people would have their doubts, even view it as suspicious." Adrien agreed with a soft sigh. Nathalie isn't the easiest person in the world to like but then she doesn't exactly try to be. Ask anybody who's had her work for them though and they'll tell you that you won't find anyone more reliable, dedicated or loyal. Quite simply: she's the best this city has to offer." He paused for a moment, evidently lost in his own thoughts. "She- She suffered the same as I did. Whilst it's true that she did play a part in Hawk Moth and Mayura's plans. I think that she regrets it. Ask her, she's the first one to admit that she deserved the time that she got but..."

"You think she deserves forgiveness?" Nadia spoke in his place.

"I think everyone needs a little bit of that from time to time but at the very least, I'm willing to give her a second chance."

His reply seemed to settle the atmosphere once more, calming things down. He had done his defending, protected the person whom he seemed to feel that he had to as well as his own reputation. Whether she had just ran out of the particularly aggressive and probing questions or was simply eager to end things on a more positive note – perhaps so that he would be more willing to one day potentially partake in a second interview - but she eased up on him. The last few were more more light-hearted. Asking Adrien just what he'd picked up in China, which lead to the young man speaking a couple of phrases in the language and then finally what his plans were for the future, if he was going to stay in the city.

"I will stay if the inhabitants are willing to forgive me or at least give me a second chance." He repeated his statement from earlier with a gentle smile. "I don't have any major plans for the time being, I'm still trying my best to get back on my feet."

"But we will be seeing you around?"

"Oh, you can count on it."

Adrien gave her a little wink, some of his Cat Noir shining through as he did so. The show ended a few seconds later, with Nadia promising equally thrilling programs to come. If Marinette's parents spoke to her, she remained unaware. The words "what the hell" were passing through her mind as she struggled to process everything that she had just seen. The entire interview could only have lasted between ten to fifteen minutes. Every one of them she had spent in shock. He seemed to be a different person from the other day when he had been so eager to kick them all out onto the street. A week ago, if you had asked her what her friend would be like if he suddenly re-materialized, she would likely have said something just like the young man she'd just watched. That left her with a single, somewhat irritating realization:

 _Paris was going to love him._

 ** _/_**

 ** _Thanks again for the reviews._**


	5. Of Roses and broken hearts

Adrien Agreste's face was everywhere. Literally everywhere. If they could have gotten his permission to stick it on mugs and tee-shirts, Marinette was convinced that they would have. The television was absolutely full of his now famous interview. It seemed to be repeated on an endless loop, analysed and dissected in its most minute of details in an attempt to somehow pick up on something that had been missed. _How could they have missed something when it had been aired more often that Jagged Stone's most popular hit?!_ The young woman had found herself raging on the third day following the young man's surprise appearance on television. The same of course was true about the internet. The name of the former model was plastered on even the most obscure site which was to say nothing of the legion of fans he seemed to have acquired in the space of a few hours. It wasn't even as if she could escape him by avoiding screens, the street itself seemed to have turned into a gallery displaying nothing but the individual now being called by some "Paris' prodigal son".

It was out of a stubborn refusal to be faced with him that she found herself in the bakery, helping her mother. Even that wasn't enough to protect her as some of her old friends had decided to pay her a visit, eager to know if she'd had any contact with them. She'd denied it. A stupid lie but one she'd felt compelled to tell, justifying it by telling herself that it would help protect the miraculouses. Whatever the case, she'd claimed that he hadn't and that she had grown out of her "pining after Adrien" phase. They'd left, perhaps not entirely convinced but no longer so eager to pester her.

That left her here with just her parents. The other former miraculous holders were equally as confused. Like her, they had been hoping that Adrien's sudden reappearance might prompt him to stop hiding from them and perhaps explain his motivation. It was day three and they still hadn't heard from him. She doubted that they would. For some reason which none of them could comprehend, he had decided to distance himself from the people who he had fought side by side with for so many years. Just what was motivating him, Marinette couldn't say but she had decided to stop worrying about it and forget about him. As fate would have it, the city was making it pretty much impossible for her to do so. That had made her… Irritable. It was only in the bakery that she found herself able to escape and find some peace. Her parents seemed to know not to push things too far. They could sense that something was wrong and were smart enough to know just what (or rather who) was likely to be the cause. They didn't push however, no doubt hoping that she would talk to them when she was ready.

"You didn't say Jagged Stone was dropping by." It was her mother who disturbed her from that morning's thoughts.

"He wasn't. At least he didn't say he was." Marinette turned around, raising an eyebrow curiously.

"It's just that a fancy car just pulled up out front."

Intrigued, Marinette approached the window cautiously. Her mother wasn't wrong. There was an unusually flashy car parked out the front. It was the sort of vehicle which people would slow down as they walked past to get a better look at it, a few might even have taken photos. One thing that she was certain of was that it didn't belong to the rock star.

Jagged Stone couldn't drive. Well, in a way he could. In fact, he'd passed his test more times than anyone else Marinette knew: a grand total of six times which also happened to be the same number of times that he'd lost his licence. By the sixth, Penny had convinced him that he might as well use a limousine when required. At any rate, the sleek two seater sports car she found herself contemplating wasn't in the man's style. He was a rock star of the purest order. His idea of transport was an American beast which guzzled gas like there was no tomorrow and looked as if it could collide with a brick wall and win. This car was far too elegant and refined for his standards. She wasn't enough of a petrol-head to be able to tell one way or another which country it had originally been built and designed it. What she knew, was that it wasn't the sort of thing which her old friend would be driving (or be chauffeured around) in.

Curious, she approached the window. Flashy cars weren't an entire uncommon sight around the centre of the city. It was its occupant whom she was somewhat more curious about. A figure emerged from the car. It only took a few seconds for her to back away from the window, sensing the danger, her heart skipped a beat as panic began to take hold. There could be no mistaking that he was coming straight for the bakery. She searched for shelter, her natural instinct demanding that she run away and hide. Her mother caught onto her unease, frowning and abandoning her rearrangement of the viennoiseries.

"Is everything alright Marinette?" She didn't even attempt to mask the concern in her voice.

"Yes. No." She stammered still trying to come up with some kind of plan. "It's Adrien, he's coming this way!"

"Oh, Adrien Agreste..." There was a knowing smile on the woman's features as the name from the past resurfaced.

"Mom! Look, uh..." She let out a defeated sigh. In a flash, her mother's teasing vanished, replaced once more with worry. "I can't explain it right now but I really can't talk to him. Is it okay if-"

"Of course, you go out back and I'll deal with him."

"You don't need to be rude or anything." She knew, that with the right prompting, the usually kind and considerate Sabine could give hell's worst furies a run for their money. "Just, don't let him know I'm here."

"Okay."

Her confusion was obvious but she didn't argue. Marinette truly loved her parents. She wasted little more time in darting into the kitchen. Her father was in there, just finishing the next lot of baguettes ready for the lunchtime rush. He raised his eyebrows, puzzled. His daughter placed a finger on her lips, silently shushing him. She left the door slightly ajar, just enough so that they could still hear what was going on in the shop. There was a familiar chiming signalling that someone had just walked in. Despite her desperation not to be seen, the young woman found herself struggling with the urge to peer round and see just what was going on. She thought better of it. As frustrated as she might have been with Adrien, letting him know that she was here but actively avoiding him would only have been cruel. There was no need to risk hurting his feelings, even if a part of her felt as if he might have deserved it.

"Um… Hi, Mrs. Dupain-Cheng." Came the unusually timid voice of Adrien from the other room.

"Good morning Adrien!" His mother greeted him warmly, ignoring her daughter's bizarre awkwardness from a few moments ago.

"You remember me?" He sounded surprised, as if the fact that his face was now inescapable had somehow failed to register.

"Yes, of course. You've certainly grown."

"Thank you..." There was an awkward pause, she could practically picture him looking around. "Uh… Is Marinette in?"

For a moment, she actually considered coming out of her hiding spot and showing herself. She would pretend that she hadn't known he was coming and see just what he wanted. There was a twinge of regret now as she found herself wondering just what could have driven him to come here like this. If something terrible had happened and he didn't know who else to turn to… The notion was dismissed. He sounded a little uneasy but that was likely more due to nerves than anything else. Had it been an emergency, Cat Noir and not Adrien would have come seeking her out. She waited anxiously for her mother to respond, fearing a betrayal that had not once occurred in the past:

"No. I'm afraid she's out. I'm not too sure when she'll be back."

"Oh! Okay..." There was some disappointment there, that much was obvious. "Well… Could you please give these to her and tell her that I'm really sorry?"

"Of course, I'll make sure that she gets them."

"Thank you… Please, have a nice day."

"You too!"

Them? Marinette's mind was racing, wondering just what they could have been talking about. The bell went signalling that the young man had indeed left the bakery. Despite that, her heart was still thundering in her chest, panic stricken. Was she actually afraid of Adrien Agreste? The idea seemed preposterous. As a teen, if she'd gotten shaky when he was around, it was mainly because she was concerned that she would make a fool of herself. Given that he was no longer on her radar so to speak, that worry should have vanished. She didn't know what it was, reasoning instead that she'd simply been scared that he would see her and they'd end up creating some sort of a scene in front of her parents. Not that she hadn't done that by herself.

Her mother entered a moment later. In her hands, she was carrying a bouquet of flowers. It wasn't huge, not enough to draw vast amounts of attention in the street but it remained none-the-less noticeable in such a small area, making it impossible to focus on anything else. The woman seemed to be confused, unsure what to do or say following her interaction with Adrien. Instead, she simply offered the gift to her daughter:

"These are for you."

"Another admirer, eh, Marinette?" Her father's jovial tone was largely ignored as she tentatively took the bouquet.

"Not exactly..."

She stared at them, unable to think clearly. Red roses. Very Adrien…

Marinette couldn't have said if he thought they were romantic or simply didn't know enough about flowers to pick a different type. Whatever the case, they weren't a gift that she was going to be able to innocently flaunt around. Instinctively, she found herself glancing out the window, praying that he'd been cautious enough to ensure that the press weren't following him. The street outside seemed to be as empty – well, in Paris it was never _empty_ – but as calm as it usually was. Hopefully, he had been and gone without anyone else seeing. She was already going to have a fun time trying to explain all of this to her parents without them becoming overly suspicious or inventing nightmare scenarios in their minds. It was as she was thinking up a way to tell them just what had happened without giving away too much detail that she spotted a small note in the flowers.

 _Sorry about everything. If you can forgive me, meet me at the Musée Cernuschi at 3 am, Saturday._

An odd place for a rendez-vous, she was a little hazy about where that even was. It certainly wasn't a major tourist attraction. Knowing Adrien, that would have been intentional. Despite all of his current publicity, he had never appreciated being crowded and would likely want to keep it that way. Was she actually considering going?! Shaking her head, the young woman brought herself back into the real world and out of her private musings. She had almost forgotten that right now, her parents would be expecting some answers for her bizarre- as they would undoubtedly see it – behaviour and just why the city's newly crowned "most eligible bachelor" felt it was necessary to give her both an apology and a bouquet. She decided to answer before they even asked:

"He paid me a visit about a week ago. He was a little bit…" Her voice trailed off for a moment, as she tried to think of the appropriate word to describe his behaviour. "Rude I guess."

"So this is his way of apologizing?" Tom eyed the flowers as if they might somehow be Venus fly traps in disguise.

"I think so..." She contemplated the bouquet, unsure as ever.

"Are you going to keep them?" Her mother questioned, her attention briefly drifting over to the car as it drove off.

"I'm not too sure..."

Not too sure was pretty much a state of being for her for the rest of the morning. She found herself pushing her food around the plate at lunch, her mind anywhere but the table with her parents. She wanted to be able to stay angry at Adrien, as bizarre as it might have sounded. He had no right to treat them the way that he had given that they had only been concerned for his well-being. If he had deemed it so important that they stay out of his life, then they would. Staying angry at her friend was something which was for some reason far more challenging than it should have been. It left her frustrated: wanting to hate but being unable to do so. She should maybe have forgiven him but inside, there was the fear that in another few days he would have changed his mind and end up pushing them away again. She wasn't too sure her heart could withstand the heartbreak a second time.

4pm rolled by and she was still as frustrated as she had been at 10am. Hours of reflection only brought about the same questions and doubts. The threat of the day beginning to die did bring about one decision however:

"Mom! Dad! I'm going out! I'll be back later!"

She called the words out as she slipped out the door, her destination already in mind. It wasn't a long walk down to the quais. She knew the route so well that she could likely have found her way blindfolded. At some points in the past, she had made the trip two or three times in a day. Others, it had been much rarer. It must have been a little over a week since she had last embarked on the trek. In truth, between school and then Adrien's sudden reappearance, she had somewhat forgotten about her regular-ish visits. With the young man now in the news so prominently, no doubt they might guessed why she had been a little bit too distracted to come.

Unsurprisingly, things hadn't changed. She doubted they ever would: an old boat moored in harbour, its extravagant captain either on board listening to music or off partaking in some social gathering (the louder the better) somewhere about the city and her two children would almost certainly be around somewhere. Marinette approached cautiously. She was yet to receive a hostile greeting but given her somewhat unconventional relationship with the inhabitants, she was never too sure what to expect. She stood near to the plank leading onto the vessel. Her eyes scanned the ship, looking for any sign of those who called it home. Everything seemed to be surprisingly still, an unusual state of affairs. After a few seconds however, the sound of a few soft notes of music originating from reached her ears:

"Marinette Dupain-Cheng, to what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Hey there Luka!"

She was met with a soft and gentle smile from the young man. Without waiting for an invite, she crossed the plank, joining him on board the boat. They embraced, a quick kiss and a hug: closer than friends, more distant than lovers; at least today. There was something comforting about Luka Couffaine. It had drawn her to him almost as soon as the two of them had met and had driven her to seek him out today. They exchanged some largely meaningless banter, asking how the other one was (as if that much could have changed in a week, although as Marinette had discovered, an awful lot could). The rest of his family were out, he claimed, getting shopping and they likely wouldn't return for a good hour or so yet. That suited her just fine, as much as she liked Juleka and her mom, it was their son whom she felt that she needed to talk to. Some peace and quiet would be essential for that, even if their privacy was generally respected, it was nice to know that they had the place to themselves for a bit.

It wasn't long until Luka invited her inside. The weather had turned decidedly chilly these past few days and lingering on deck didn't suit either of them. There was something homely about the inside of the ship which Marinette couldn't help but find appealing. At least until she caught sight of the front page of one of the magazines left on a table. Adrien Agreste, always Adrien Agreste… She couldn't help but comment exasperatedly:

"Urgh… That guy's face is everywhere!"

"I thought this might be about him."

There was no jealousy or malice behind Luka's amused statement. Whilst he wasn't entirely above such sentiments, they had never seemed to affected him that badly where her former crush was concerned. He seemed to have some sort of strange inbuilt understanding as far as her feelings for Adrien went. Hence the reason for her visit. If she was too confused and angry to think clearly about it, she was hoping against hope that he might be able to provide her with some clarity. The young man sat down on the sofa, his guitar on his lap. He gestured for her to settle next to him, something which she did almost instinctively.

She told him about what had happened, editing out the details about the miraculous and just where the young man had been. He listened but didn't immediately respond. Conversations with Luka involved music. It seemed to be a part of his being. He would strum a few cords on his guitar, sometimes for only a few seconds but on a couple of occasions, his tunes had lasted the best part of an hour before he had pronounced so much as half a word. Marinette waited, allowing to continue with his song and do all the thinking that he required. It was relaxing enough to soothe some of her own concerns, she closed her eyes, content to simply listen and to allow herself to be lulled by the soft melody. It was after about three minutes that the notes finally began to die down and he allowed silence to settle in:

"So what are you asking?"

"I just don't know what to do." She let out in a sigh. "I mean, he was a jerk."

"Telling you and your friends to clear out, of course he was." The young man agreed with her.

"So… I don't want to see him again but-" It was difficult to express her frustration other than with a grumble.

"Poor guy if he's got you mad enough to actually want to hate him." Luka's voice trailed off for a moment. "I sort of feel sorry for him..."

Marinette turned to look at him, raising an eyebrow curiously as she did so. He didn't answer her immediately, instead, he chose to strum another few cords on his guitar. Adrien wasn't a subject that either of them had talked about all that often, barely at all in fact. She had turned to Luka as soon as it had become clear that her friend wasn't returning. He'd been patient enough to wait, no doubt understanding just how much that boy with the blonde hair and green eyes had meant to her. She wasn't too sure what she'd been expecting. Perhaps not jealousy but sympathy wasn't exactly the first thing that had come to her mind either. There was a slight melancholy in his tune however, one which didn't escape her attention. She waited for him to finish none-the-less:

"You feel sorry for him?" She asked as soon as he had stopped playing.

"His parents kept him locked up for all those years whilst they tried to destroy Paris, when they got caught everyone sort of turned against him. I mean the only person who thought to get him out of the country was the family secretary. No wonder he has trouble with people. So yeah… I feel sorry for him."

Marinette didn't respond, preferring instead to mull over his words. It went without saying that she'd felt a great deal of sympathy for Adrien. They hadn't known at the time that they had confronted Hawk Moth and Mayura just who lay behind the mask of Cat Noir. Had they known, she wondered if they would have let him fight by their side. Even now, she couldn't imagine what it must have been like for him. It wasn't that which confused and irritated her, it was his behaviour since his return. If only because she couldn't understand the reasoning behind them. For some reason, Luka seemed to be able to look past that. She wondered if she could do the same. Perhaps, the young woman reasoned, her old friend simply wanted to explain himself to her. He wouldn't be able to do that unless she gave him the chance…

"You think that I should give him another chance?"

"I know that you'll regret it if you don't." Her friend told her strumming his guitar once more. "Worst case scenario, he's a jerk. At least you won't spend the rest of your life worrying about whether or not you did the right thing."

She couldn't fault the logic. Despite everything, she didn't fear Adrien. He might confuse her but she didn't think he'd ever be capable of harming her, at least not physically. The worst that she would risk was potentially getting her feelings hurt once more. Her pride was another obstacle, perhaps the main one. It had been injured twice already. Still, as usual she couldn't help but think back to the young man. It felt as if something, somewhere was wrong. She couldn't have said what but it almost felt as if he was in need of some kind of help. Even Nathalie had seemed to be somewhat unsettled by his behaviour.

In her heart of hearts, Marinette found herself realizing that she already knew just what she was going to do.

Letting out a heavy sigh, she rested her head against her friend's shoulder. He smiled, putting a hand around her shoulders. It was only for a few seconds. More than once, she had wished that she could be entirely happy with Luka. There was an absence however that Adrien and Cat Noir had left when they had disappeared which she had never entirely been able to fill. The young musician was the person who came the closest. In another life, she imagined that she could have been more than happy with him. It wasn't to be however. She knew that he could sense that as much as she could. Eventually they would drift apart. They would likely always be friends but never have that little bit extra required to make it work.

"Thanks Luka..."

"My pleasure, Marinette…"

/

Thanks again for the reviews.


	6. Hands offered

As it turned out, the museum was both in the middle of nowhere and in the centre of the city. Marinette had never been here before, not even for some sort of field-trip. Whilst it was signposted, she'd had to check the address a couple of times to make sure that this was the right place. It was only when she remembered that Adrien's face was all over Paris, that it made some more sense to her. He would want somewhere secluded to be able to talk in private, even parks could be too open as they had both discovered during their younger years. Why this place? Asian art maybe. At any rate, it was small enough to look little different to any of the other buildings around them. She shrugged, entering and getting her ticket. There didn't seem to be anyone else in here apart from the staff.

Climbing the large staircase, she made her way into the first room, Chinese antiquities. He was standing there, staring at what she could best describe as a large bronze vessel of some kind. He seemed to sense as soon as she entered the room, turning slowly to face her. His eyes widened upon seeing her, fixing her as if he couldn't quite believe that she was actually here. The young man didn't speak, a slight, almost nervous smile crept onto his features. She didn't return the gesture, appearing neither hostile nor overjoyed to see him. Indeed, the young woman remained too confused to feel strongly one way or another. It didn't prevent her from approaching. She did so steadily, her arms folded across her chest until she joined him in front of the display cabinet.

There was a silence which formed between the two of them. Marinette didn't even read the plaque explaining just what the strange vessel was, she contented herself with fixing it, admiring its unusualness and wondering just what it might have been used for. It allowed her to try and gather her thoughts together. Standing this close to Adrien, it was almost like he was giving off some strange frequency which served to disrupt her own ability to think clearly. Standing side by side, it took her a few minutes to relax somewhat. The anger, frustration and resentment might not have disappeared but it became less enveloping, more of a secondary concern. Her companion seemed to sense the tension, allowing it to ebb away gradually before finally speaking in a hushed tone:

"I didn't think you'd come."

"For a while, neither did I."

Even after her conversation with Luka, doubts had plagued her. Even walking out here, she'd come close to turning around twice. It wasn't just resentment at his actions. Nerves made her somewhat fearful about showing herself. Eventually, it had been with a deep breath to give herself some courage that she had dared to penetrate into the museum, knowing that somewhere inside, Adrien Agreste was waiting for her. Even know, she didn't really know what to expect. Her former friend seemed to be relatively relaxed, she certainly wasn't detecting any hostility from him. Things remained awkward, neither too sure what to say and so preferring to remain silent. More than once, the young man opened his mouth, words hanging on the end of his tongue but refusing to come.

There were only a handful of people in the museum. A couple of visitors asides themselves and a few members of staff charged with ensuring that nobody got a little too close to the exhibits. It made things awkward in that Marinette found herself hesitating to speak. She wasn't the same fourteen year old that she had once been, she knew what some people would assume if they saw the two of them together in a place like this. As quiet as it was, she found herself wondering why he hadn't just invited her round to his place if he was so worried about being troubled by the press (that was assuming that he cared at all). Finally, after a few minutes of silence, Adrien spoke, hesitating and uncertain but no longer able to bear the empty space which had formed between them:

"I take it you got the flowers?"

"I did." She turned to look at him out of the corner of her peripheral vision. "Red roses? Seriously?"

"Did I do something wrong?" She could tell that the innocence was real, not him trying to wriggle out of a mistake he had made by playing dumb.

"Roses mean love. Now my parents are completely freaking out. Pretty sure they think we were dating..." She'd explained herself several times to the best of her ability but somehow, she wasn't convinced that it was entirely effective.

"Sorry. I just didn't know what to do. People give flowers to each other, don't they? I mean, you see it in all the cartoons and-" He stopped himself, catching sight of her aghast expression. "Next time I'll check with Nathalie..."

"Please do."

In truth, her anger over the flowers was more of an irritation. She didn't entirely mind the gift but the fact that it had gone through her parents' hands first had only caused them to become suspicious. Their questions about young Adrien Agreste had become somewhat more frequent, less guarded. She knew them well enough to know that they had never suspected that he might have been part of his parents' sinister plot. As such, they didn't have the same concerns which some might have had. Their interest was annoyingly personal, eager to know just how close the two of them were. For the time being, she was relatively confident that she had been able to convince them that they were nothing more than old friends and that he was a little confused…

She let out a sigh, there was something about Adrien which made it very difficult to stay angry at him. Maybe it was that innocence which he seemed to have both cultivated and maintained during his time away which made her feel like she was kicking a puppy. The notion of him going through Nathalie before dealing with anything personal was one which struck her as being almost comical. The young woman shifted, trying to keep her mind roughly on track. She had many questions, least of which was whether or not her companion was going to be willing to play ball:

"I've never been here before." She confessed glancing around her surroundings. "What made you pick it?"

"Honestly? I wanted somewhere quiet but not too public. Not many people come to this museum." He hesitated a few moments before tentatively adding. "This was the last place I remember coming with my mom before she vanished… Stupid really, it meant so much to me but she was probably just searching for stuff to do with the miraculouses and her condition."

"Do you hate your parents?"

She surprised herself with her own boldness. She bitterly regretted her words. They had slipped out. A moment of unguarded curiosity was to blame. It was a question she had often wondered. She remembered Cat's rage when he had fought both Hawk Moth and Mayura for the final time. It had seemed out of place at the time but they'd put it down to desperation: the urge to end things once and for all. That had been a decade ago, once the masks had fallen, they'd all had plenty of time to wonder about Adrien Agreste's state of mind. None of them could even begin to relate to what it must have been like for him. It was an insensitive and potentially foolish thing to ask him, she realized. There was no saying just how he would react and if it would potentially reopen some painful old wounds.

It was clear that it was something which hurt the young man to think back to. His eyes lowered, fixing nothing in particular, simply lost in the past. There was silence for a few moments before he finally let out:

"I thought I did. I want to..." His turned around to face her, his face for once not betraying his emotions. "Nathalie keeps on saying I should go and see them but honestly I don't really trust myself."

He let her make what she would of that statement. She couldn't. Perhaps lacking the will to do so.

It was a subject which Marinette decided against pushing any further. She could already tell that it was something which was sensitive and liable to upset her old friend. It wasn't as if she was short of questions to ask. Once more, she decided to let silence settle in so that things calmed down at least somewhat. She bitterly regretted asking something so personal, especially after such a long time apart. Adrien's face was stony. He wore a slight frown, fixing the vase once more. She wondered if they held any actual interest for him or were merely objects which brought back memories from a time when things seemed simpler. She found herself looking around for something more innocuous to discuss. Ironically, it occurred to her that they were surrounded by potential themes:

"Are you actually into all this stuff?"

"It's grown on me a bit." The young man confessed looking around him. "I used to study the book with Master to try and decode it."

"Did you manage?" She questioned genuinely curious.

"We did about three quarters before he passed."

"Maybe you should try getting into it or something." It wasn't an entirely serious suggestion, she knew full-well it wasn't something that he could easily do. Not in his current situation.

"Thanks but I think a job as a "pretty boy" is what I can look forwards to."

The young man chuckled, almost as if he found the notion amusing. After a few seconds, he dared to turn to face her. There was a timidity behind his eyes which she remembered well from when they had both been teenagers. In that respect, he barely seemed to have changed at all. Still the same boy who'd spent most of his life cut off from the rest of the world and who now found himself treading on eggshells every time he went outside. Was it cute or sad? She wasn't entirely sure. He tried his best and unfortunately it wasn't always enough. A somewhat graver sense of what had happened seemed to take hold, causing him to look away again. His eyes spoke of regret as he fixed the same vessel mindlessly. He finally let out a few words, still refusing to look at her:

"If you want, we can go somewhere more private. Any questions you have, I'll answer them."

"Lets do that." She didn't even think about the notion for more than a couple of seconds.

Adrien nodded once, departing with her in silence.

They didn't go far as it turned out. Just to the neighbouring park. It was pleasantly quiet. There were some people, families for the most part, out with their children. They paid the two young adults little attention, too wrapped up in their own affairs to notice Adrien Agreste and Marinette Dupain-Cheng out for a walk. All the same, the former Ladybug couldn't help but notice that her companion had pulled the hood of his sweatshirt up so that it covered a good part of his head, in particular his hair. Perhaps its golden locks were too noticeable, he feared. It didn't bother her too much, although she would rather have been able to see his whole face as opposed to only that which wasn't concealed by the hoodie but was willing to put up with it if it meant that they didn't get find their faces suddenly on the front of some tabloid paper.

The two of them settled down on a park bench in a secluded spot: not so much as to seem suspicious but well out of the earshot. There was still a part of all of this which felt somewhat unreal to her. Not necessarily dream like, not like that first night (or at least the beginning of it) when he'd shown up on the steps of her school but still bizarre. Perhaps it was because it was all so natural, sitting there, it was something she could have imagined herself doing with him if he'd never left. The reality hit home once more when he asked:

"What is it you'd like to know?"

"Easy." She responded looking the young man dead in the eye. "Why did you chase us away?"

"It seemed like the right thing to do." His voice trailed off for a moment as he thought about the matter. "It's complicated but there's a life I'm supposed to live now. You guys, it's not fair for me to ask you to have to become a part of it."

"But we want to. You're our friend Adrien!" She paused wondering how she could possibly get the point across. "I get it. You went through a lot but we all missed you like crazy whilst you were away… Honestly after a while, I sort of wondered if you were even still alive."

It was something that she'd never before confessed to. It was possible that others had guessed or at least suspected. After all, the worries seemed justified when the months of silence had turned into years. Adrien's silence, as well as that of Master Fu had become more than slightly worrying. Had they gotten into some sort of trouble? Even if they had, with no clue as to just where the two of them had disappeared to, it would be impossible for their friends to stage any form of rescue. They had been forced to fear the worst and hope for the best. The lack of communication had hurt. There was nothing worse than the uncertainty of not knowing, except perhaps the fact that they were unable to do anything to change the fact that their friend had vanished into thin air and was likely never to be heard from again.

Adrien lowered his head. His shame was obvious. Now, over a decade later. Marinette felt as if she might have been about to get some answers, an explanation as to just why silence had prevailed for a decade. It took him a few seconds, not because she got the feeling that he was reluctant to answer but simply to try and find the right words, the correct way of expressing himself. When he spoke, it was slowly, the regret easily discernible:

"I meant to write. Master encouraged me to. I must have tried like a hundred times but whenever I tried, I don't know. It's like I could never- I could never apologize enough."

"Apologize for what?" She fixed him with confusion.

"Everything… Hawk Moth and Mayura, both of them, they harmed so many people. Think about everything they cost you and I didn't even know…" He hesitated a moment before adding in a mere whisper. "I didn't want to know. I couldn't face you, any of you, after all that, so I ran."

"You didn't have to… We never blamed you."

"Maybe… But then who would have taken Master Fu's place? I think he knew his time was coming to an end. I thought I saw a way to redeem myself, to make amends for everything my parents did." He let out a sigh, throwing his head backwards so as to look at the sky. "I was willing to give up my life for that. I couldn't and can't ask any of you to do the same."

Marinette simply stared at her friend. He'd run away so quickly into the night, only showing them his face for a few seconds. She could remember the pain behind his green eyes. Pain and shame. If it weren't for Master Fu, she suspected they would never have known where he was going. He would have vanished into thin air. She couldn't have said whether she felt compassion or resentment for the young man. A part of her could understand, he'd left for Tibet. It was something which Adrien could afford to do: all of his ties to the city had been rather violently severed, he didn't have to concern himself with how his family would cope without him. It wouldn't have been so easy for his friends. If nothing else, emotionally, at the time, the former Ladybug found herself unsure if she would have had the emotional maturity to be separated from her parents.

She found herself wondering just how much he had been forced to sacrifice atop that mountain. It wasn't just the vows, whilst she didn't know the entirety of just what he had promised, her best guess was that he'd been able to adapt well-enough to the restrictions. It was more his former life which he had been forced to say farewell to. Not because his mentor asked him to but because he felt that it was the only path forwards. Just what had caused the young man to come to such a radical conclusion was beyond her but she felt certain that it must have hurt him. The young woman spent a few moments looking for the right words. How to make him understand that he had been wrong? Cutting them off had not been and wasn't the solution.

"We'll always be here for you. We're your friends. You didn't have to run…" She closed her eyes, letting her shoulders slump down slightly as she did so. "I don't know if you think you're protecting us but you really don't need to. What you're doing is hurting us. Can't you let us in?"

"I can." Adrien's gaze remained fixed somewhat vacantly on those enjoying themselves in the park. "-but you've got to understand, I can't give up my responsibilities. Some of it's going to seem strange – believe me, I know – but it's the way I live my life now."

"Of course…" She cast her mind back to the limited amount of interactions she'd had with him so far. "Does this have anything to do with the plain noodles and training regime thing Nathalie was talking about?"

"Amongst other things. I really shouldn't have come out here at this time." He added hastily as something of an afterthought. "It's throwing my routine into disarray but I thought I could get away with it just for today."

"Really?" Her tone was light-hearted enough to let him know he hadn't caused any more offence. "So what should you be doing?"

"Right now? Working… It can be pretty varied."

No doubt she could have come up with a thousand questions for her friend both about what his life now resembled and what it had been with Master Fu. She suspected that he must have had some tales to tell. For the time being however, the young man appeared to be somewhat distracted. His gaze wasn't resting on anything in particular but he none-the-less seemed preoccupied. No doubt his thoughts were to blame. She abandoned her interrogation so as to give him the opportunity to finish his reflection in peace, allowing him as much time as he needed. Something must have changed, she realized, to cause him to come back so openly to her. It was after a minute or so that he finally asked, hesitantly:

"The others… Do you think they could forgive me?"

"Of course." She assured the young man both honestly and confidently. "We don't hate you but you did kick us out of your house."

"I know… I'm sorry." He paused, visibly contemplating something. "Do you think, if you talked to them, they'd want to come for dinner?"

She frowned, raising an eyebrow. Was that a dinner invitation? It certainly sounded like one. She only had to think about her answer for a few seconds. Alya, she knew might still resent the way that she had been treated but would ultimately agree to pretty much anything if she thought it might get her a scoop (even if in this case, there was no chance of her publishing it). Her curiosity, whilst it made her a force to be reckoned with in the journalistic world, could also be something of a weakness. Nino, she doubted would pose much of a problem, if he'd been offended enough to snub an invitation – something Marinette doubted – his girlfriend would twist his arm, convincing him to go along. Chloe was admittedly somewhat harder to predict although something told the young woman that in this instance, they had relatively little to fear. The maire's daughter had always been remarkably patient and forgiving as far as "Adrikens" was concerned.

She was relatively sure that all of them would show up if he invited them. Just what they could expect from their former friend was another matter all together…

"Yeah. They'd come." She spoke confidently, even if they were initially reluctant, she felt that she would be able to talk them into it.

"So… Say, next Friday?"

"I'm free. I'm pretty sure the others are as well." It was mostly true, although she wasn't exactly completely up to date with all of her friends' schedules.

"Great!" In a flash, the young man seemed to have cheered up, a broad smile occupying his face. "Hopefully I can make things up to them."

She nodded once. Agreeing with him. The young woman was rather inclined not to guarantee that everything would go smoothly, at least not initially. Like her, her friends would need a little while to forgive him and to let the bitterness go. The first few minutes might be awkward. Alternatively, they were talking about a date a little over a week in the future, it was perfectly possible that emotions would have died down by then making it nothing more than the reunion of friends that it should have been initially.

They chatted for a while longer. As before, the young man seemed more interested in her life than anything else. His questions, whilst not so personal as to seem offensive, lead her to believe that he genuinely didn't have much of a clue as to what had occurred during his absence. She asked him about Nathalie, wasn't she keeping him up to date? She had, he informed her. At least to the best of her ability. As a woman who was so freshly out of prison, she herself had struggled to get her head around everything that had happened. As far as the former miraculous holders went, she had sought to keep as far away from them as humanly possible – and failed miserably when the son of her former boss had dumped himself on her doorstep. Even now, she remained unwilling to do much research into that sort of thing. _It would look suspicious_ , she had informed him on more than one occasion. That left him still preciously isolated from the rest of the world.

"I'm still not entirely confident with going out there. I don't want to do or say something stupid." He confessed looking down at his lap.

"You're not going to learn until you try." She informed him, feeling some sympathy.

"Now you're sounding like Nathalie..." It was a bemused grumble.

"Please don't say that..." Her few memories of the woman, weren't entirely pleasant.

"I actually mean it as a compliment." The young man chuckled briefly. "Bug her enough and she gives some pretty good advice."

"I'll keep that in mind."

His expression softened. There was a gentleness behind his green orbs which brought her back to the steps leading down from their school all those years ago. For the first time, it actually felt as if she was in the presence of the same young man. The coldness which he had displayed in his manor a few days ago had been banished into the realms of a bad memory. This was the way that things – that he, should have been.

In a split second, the spell was broken. There was a loud beeping sound originating from somewhere on her friend's person. His eyes widened abruptly. In a flash, the young man whipped out his cellphone. It was an alarm, she quickly realized, as opposed to an incoming call. Adrien was quick to silence it. His expression betrayed the verdict however. He didn't even attempt to hide his disappointment, letting out a sigh. She'd already guessed that their time together was coming to an end for the day. It was with an apologetic smile that he turned back to face her. She nodded slowly, understanding, allowing the action to speak for her.

"I'm really sorry..."

"Don't worry. I understand..." She was sincere. "You have responsibilities now."

"Yeah. I do hope we can see each other again." He added quickly afterwards. "Soon."

"Sure. Do you still have my number?"

"No..."

They exchanged them, with the promise to stay in contact. She would let him know what the others said about dinner. It was with a wave of the hand that Adrien walked off. He offered to drop her back off at the bakery but she politely refused. She would prefer the walk, the young woman told him, adding hastily that it was nothing to do with him and that usually she would love to, in fact she would and-… It had been a long time since she had ended up in such a tongue-tied situation. Her friend seemed to be just as baffled as he had always been, at least for a few seconds, before laughing it off as her being "funny". Not exactly what she was going for but there were worse things to be called, she supposed.

They parted with a smile and for the first time since their reunion, the feeling that there might still be something there.

 _/_

 _Thanks again to Mayuralover for the review._


	7. Bridges built

Cooking wasn't something that had come especially naturally to Adrien. There was a single simple reason for that: he'd never been required to. There had always been someone, somewhere willing to prepare some food for him. More often than not, they'd been nameless. Their meals were prepared somewhere and through some system which Nathalie seemed to command, they had always reached the mansion both fresh and ready-to-eat. He'd never really thought about it. His lack of knowledge had only really become apparent during the few of Tom Dupain-Cheng's cooking classes he'd attended. Even then, it hadn't been all that unusual, many of the fourteen year olds were notices when it came to managing the pots and pans. In Tibet, he had been forced to learn. Not because his master had refused to do such a menial task but because it was required of him. _There is no task too humble for guardian…_ One of the very first things which he had been told upon finding himself in the ruins of the temple.

"You might be Cat Noir and able to destroy a skyscraper, with the touch of your hand but if you cannot prepare your own food, then you will starve." Master Fu had told him, watching as he'd found himself unable to do something as simple as peeling a carrot without taking the skin off of one of his knuckles.

It wasn't something that he had to think about much any more. Like much of what he'd been taught, after hours and hours, turning to days, weeks, months and years of repetition, it had all become automatic. He chopped the vegetables, throwing them into the point with the rest of the mix. Things were running to time. He'd been forced to adopt the portion sizes to accommodate for the extra four mouths who had promised to be present. Easy, at least in theory. Nathalie waited patiently for him to finish his current task. She had something to say but evidently it wasn't urgent enough to warrant disturbing him. He finished with the last carrot, before turning around, giving her his full undivided attention.

"Yes?"

"I just wanted to inform you that the meeting with the head of IT has been moved forwards to Wednesday. They're hoping to launch the platform by the weekend."

"That's great… Isn't it?" The last part was somewhat more tentative, he never really did know what was going on where these business things were concerned.

"Well, it's gone from being two months behind schedule to one. So yes, it is good news." Her eyes narrowed, unamused. "Do you ever read the summaries I give you?"

"I do!" He stressed that fact to him. "I just don't always understand them."

"Perhaps I should try filling them out in ancient Chinese..."

She approached none-the-less. He stepped to one side, giving the woman access to the pot. She didn't touch it, preferring not to meddle but contented with giving it a quick sniff. He trusted Nathalie's judgement. She knew how things worked and what people liked. It was largely due to experience which she had amassed from years of assisting Gabriel and accompanying him on various professional outings. He'd pretty much trust her to run most of his life, it's what his father used to do when he spent his days waiting in that lonely attic for someone to become either sad or angry enough to be able to become one of his puppets. This is a little different though. He knows that the former secretary trusts him with meals, she's being doing so for the past month. If she didn't like them, she'd let him know or at least start ordering herself a salad instead.

"Smells good." She noted her expression as stony as it ever was. "So you're actually giving this a go?"

"An attempt at a half normal life?" He smiled to the best of his ability, nerves making it difficult to appear to be entirely at ease. "I'm going to give it my all."

"In which case, might I suggest that you change. I've gotten used to those robes, your friends might find them a little off-putting."

"Good point." He looked down at the clothes. What had once felt odd now barely even registered. "What about you? Are you staying like that?"

"Me? You're going to be sitting down to dinner with your three friends-"

"What about me? Am I supposed to just starve in the corner?!" Plagg questioned floating over.

"-and your kwami. You don't want _me_ hanging around." The woman declared clutching her tablet close to her chest. "Just leave the pot out here, I'll help myself and stay out of your way in the meantime. It's not like dinners are my scene anyway."

Adrien managed to contain a sigh. He knew better than to expect the assistant to hang around for something like a meal. There were simply too many people. She wasn't a social bunny. Far from it. The woman was far happier with only a couple of others around her and even them, more often than not she tried to keep at arm's length as he had discovered to his cost at several times in the past. It was just the type of person she was. The time she'd spent in a jail cell hadn't exactly improved the problem either, if anything, making her disdain for the rest of her humanity all the worse. She would be quite happy to sit alone in her room and work away in silence whilst the rest of them chatted away downstairs.

For once however, Adrien wasn't about to give up without a fight. He stepped out in front of her, blocking her path. She raised an eyebrow, dubious and not in the mood for fun and games right now.

"I said a half normal life. Grumpy former supervillains are a part of it."

"Well isn't that a nice little idealistic island you live on…" The woman replied, her eyes narrowed.

"Come on…" There was a time when a pleading look had worked, at least slightly with her. "It'll look weird if you're not."

"I miss the days when you didn't argue." The woman rolled her eyes with exasperation. "Fine but I might find some way to excuse myself half way through!"

Adrien didn't argue, it was already progress. There was a time, not all that long ago, where he knew that he would have had to order the woman to sit down to dinner with them if she wanted to have the slightest hope of her doing so. Even then, she would have argued, perhaps even refused. He decided to do as she said, the woman would be irritated enough already by the prospect of having to sit down for a meal for him and his friends. The meals with three of them (Plagg would always sit down for a plate full of camembert) were usually relatively quiet affairs. Idle chatter wasn't something which seemed to come all that naturally to the assistant. She was much happier being left to her own devices. He wasn't entirely sure if she'd ever come out of her shell. Perhaps it was wrong of him to try and drag her out of it from time to time…

He went back to his room and changed, slipping into some clothes which were less likely to cause less of a stir. Things which he no longer even thought twice about had struck her as being downright bizarre, bordering on the humorous. He remembered finding it a bit odd himself when, he'd first joined Master Fu but the weeks and months had turned everything into a routine and Paris into something of a distant dream. At times, he had found himself wondering if those days with his friends fighting akumas had ever been real. They'd seemed so far away up there on that mountain… Even now, standing in front the mirror in his room, ensuring that his collar wasn't folded, he found it hard to believe he was standing here. In Tibet, he had found himself dreaming of Paris, in Paris he found himself dreaming of Tibet. There must have been some strange irony there which he couldn't quite understand.

"Face it! You're just doing this to impress Marinette!" Plagg floated near to his head, admiring himself in the mirror.

"Impress her? If I can go the evening without insulting her then I'll be impressed!" He continued to fidget with the sleeves of his shirt, nerves once forming butterflies in the pit of his stomach. "Why's all this stuff so complicated Plagg?"

"Well, humans are pretty soppy, brainless things so it was never going to be easy."

"Thanks for that one." He abandoned any more modifications to his clothes. If something was wrong, Nathalie would intercept him. "Can you try and behave tonight?"

"Me?" The kwami huffed, seemingly offended. "I always behave!"

Once more, Adrien didn't argue. There was little point where Plagg was concerned. It wasn't in the kwami's nature to care all that much what others thought about him. Adrien was too easy going – that's what pretty much everyone had told him. The holder of the cat miraculous needed to be strong and firm, otherwise their partner could easily run amok, Master Fu had told him that much himself. Yet for all that, the young man was generally content to trust the strange creature. Mischievous as he might be, he wasn't actually _evil_.

The young man rushed downstairs, eager to greet his guests. Whenever they got here. A quick glance to a nearby clock confirmed that they should be arriving within the next ten minutes. He'd planned through everything that he was going to say, how he would say it. It was essential that he apologised. There would be no red roses this time but words intended to be kind, some attempt to justify himself. If it were possible to go back, he would have done this whole return to Paris thing differently. He couldn't have said what had driven him to go and search out Marinette. Nathalie had been out of necessity. He had nowhere to go and the emergency funds he'd shared with Master Fu in case of eventualities like this were almost all gone. His friend had been different, maybe that was what had caused him to blow up so spectacularly… He should either have stayed away or been straight with them from the start.

"They're here." A voice from the office informed him. "I've let them in."

"Thanks Nathalie!"

He should open the front door for them, save the group the trouble of having to knock. They would know that he was aware they had arrived. For some reason, he found himself hesitating however as he reached for the handle. He imagined them angry, resentful after the way that he had treated them the first time they had come here, willingly, just anxious friends looking to help. Marinette had warned him that they might not be entirely happy to see him. He didn't know the details of how the others had taken his rejection. His intention to distance himself from them had meant that he could only imagine that they had not appreciated it in the slightest. In all honesty, the young man couldn't blame them. Next to him, Plagg tilted his head to one side, wondering what was taking so long for his human partner to complete such a mundane task. Adrien shook his head, snapping himself out of his daydreaming state. He turned the handle, opening the door.

In truth, he wasn't all that sure what happened next. He heard a cry, probably more surprise than anything else. His instincts triggered, causing him to both brace himself and reach out his arms, catching the figure as they crashed into him. Marinette Dupain-Cheng had somehow managed to fall over once more it would seem. She seemed a little confused for a few seconds, no doubt getting her bearings as he held her in place, ensuring that she couldn't slip any further. Before he could ask just what had happened, the young woman let out a shrill shriek of surprise, jumping back about three feet and almost colliding with her friends who had been standing behind her.

"So sorry! I just wanted to knock! Then the door opened!"

"No harm done." Now, to remember the proper etiquette for such an occasion. "Please, come in."

He stepped to one side, allowing them past him and into the main hall. The young man took note of the weather: chilly with a very light rain. His guests would no doubt be a little damp. He trusted Nathalie to deal with things such as ambient room temperature. She was very much an indoors sort of person and let him know about two weeks in that he would have to put the central heating on if she was to stay in his employ. It didn't really matter. So long as the rooms didn't become saunas, he took little notice of just how chilly things were anyhow. Turning back, he found himself in a somewhat awkward position.

His family almost never received guests. The Agreste mansion had always been something of hallowed ground for the family. Very few people ever made it past the gates and those who did seldom stayed for long. He couldn't remember the last time they'd ever had guests. As such, the etiquette required for greeting them was something which eluded him. He'd asked Nathalie for a briefing, just the basics, what was required outside of a "hello". She'd explained it all to him but mentioned that given that this wasn't exactly a formal occasion and that he was essentially a twenty-something-year-old having a few of what had once been his closest friends round for dinner, there was no reason to be so hung up about such things. They were unlikely to pick him up on it. Even so, he knew that standing there gaping like a fish wasn't the way to go about solving the problem.

"Let me…" He strained himself, trying to recall the next step.

"I'll take your coats if you want."

Nathalie emerged from where she had been waiting in the office. She wore her usual disinterested expression as she came to his rescue, taking the visitors coats and hanging them on the nearby wrack so that they would dry. He would have to thank her later. He stood there poleaxed, still unsure how to proceed. Slowly, he closed the door shutting out the night's chill and the rain. That still left him with his friends to deal with. He found himself faced with no hostility as he turned around to look at the group once more. They appeared to be a mixture of neutral in Chloe's case but otherwise wore gentle smiles where the other three of them were concerned. It proved to be enough to shake him out of his stupor, reminding him what needed to be done:

"Before we go any further, I wanted to apologize for the other day. I thought that it would be in everyone's interests if we kept to ourselves." He let out a sigh, unsure how to explain his logic any further. "I was afraid that my duty as a guardian would mean that you guys ended up suffering as a result. It was wrong of me to presume that you wouldn't be able to manage it. I'm sorry…"

He'd said it. That was already a weight off of his shoulders. It was quickly replaced by anxiousness as he found himself faced with his friends. Waiting for their reactions, he stood there unsure just what to expect. Where they to be hostile, he trusted they would have been practical about it, refusing his invitation instead of coming here. Still, the young man found himself nervous. It had been so long since he'd had to deal with others like this. Oh how he longed in those few seconds for the quite sanctuary of the mountains. If it had been too much at times, he could see the benefit of it on occasion. Right in those few seconds, he wished that he could have faded out into non-existence.

Then, in a flash everything changed.

The group rushed him, not aggressively. They slowed down in the last few steps. Their arms opened, and he understood what they intended. He didn't quite have enough time to react however as they embraced him, pulling him in close for a shared hug. Their arms wrapped themselves around his neck. It was a gentle action but one which he none-the-less appreciated. He found himself laughing softly, surprised but grateful. His best guess was that they had agreed on this beforehand. Their action had seemed planned, rehearsed. Perhaps his speech had come as a surprise, but they none-the-less seemed truly happy to see him. No doubt Marinette had talked a few things over with them. Whatever the case, the young man wasn't about to complain. He would have returned the gesture were it not for the swarms of arms squeezing him.

"Good to have you back dude." Nino's comment earned yet another chuckle.

"You have no idea how much I've missed you…" Was all that he could think to respond. "All of you."

They pulled away a few seconds later. He smiled at them, hoping they understood just how sincere he was. So much had seemed overstated. Just how big a hole they had left in his life was one such thing. A hole that he had never dared to fill and a distance that he had never been able to bring himself to try and bridge, no matter how much his master had insisted that he at least try. Now, standing here, he felt some part of him finally slide back into place. He must have been getting emotional. Plagg tended to let him know as much by his displays of contempt, usually in the form of a disdainful huff. As if he, a kwami was far beyond such trivial matters. It was a reminder however that right now perhaps wasn't the place to be getting soppy. He still had dinner to serve after all.

Adrien was able to pull himself together enough to invite them into the living-room. It was warmer in there, at least physically. This house always felt a little cold and artificial. With a few more people, it gained something a little more human and relatable. They all settled down in the armchairs and on the sofa. Nathalie was the last one in, closing the door behind her. She sat down a little further away, distancing herself but still technically in the same room (it was progress as far as he was concerned). He noticed their attention focusing on the large picture sitting about the fireplace. Thankfully, the group seemed to remember just who they were with, their gazes quickly snapping away as if it was forbidden. Somehow, the young man found himself doubting that his family would be a subject they managed to completely avoid tonight.

"I take it Marinette explained things to you..." He declared taking his seat.

"What little I know..." The young woman replied glancing to her friends.

"Yeah. We're sort of expecting some big gossip here!" Alya informed him leaning forwards. "Where've you been? What have you learned?! Ooh! Are there other miraculous holders?!"

"Easy there!" Nino laughed softly. "Give the dude a chance to breathe!"

Adrien smiled in response. He doubted that they would find it all that interesting. Once you got part the somewhat exotic side of it, he'd very quickly fallen into a routine. The same few actions day in and day out, repeated in an endless cycle until it no longer required thinking about. He'd tell them if they really wanted to know. Thankfully, they had all been miraculous holders once. It wasn't as if they were bound by the same need for secrecy which held him in silence with the rest of the world. Plagg settled down on the arm of his chair, his eyes trailed over the group of young adults sitting there, waiting patiently.

He didn't know how the rest of the evening would go or even where to begin. He would have quite liked to get to know more about them, what they had been doing and what they were planning to do. There was only so much that a couple of hours on the internet could do. Still, sitting there before them, he didn't quite comprehend what he was expected to do next. It would be a shame if this all became about him. He sat back, trying his best to relax. With eight eyes resting upon him, he found the heat rising to his cheeks, as if this was something more akin to an interview than a meeting of friends. His fingers had found the ring, they toyed with it, turning it slowly. It would come off, he knew that. What he would find would be a pale line of skin which hadn't seen the sun in a good many years. He glanced back up at them. They were still there...

"You guys really want to know?" He questioned, uncertain.

"Of course we do!" Alya's enthousiasm still hadn't died down. "You left us in the dark you know!"

"I know. I'm sorry..." He let out a sigh, looking up at the ceiling. How often had he regretted that night? "I was scared and confused. I just wanted to get out of the city, away from everything... Even you guys."

"Yeah but-" Marinette started, regret filling her eyes.

"I know. I wasn't thinking straight." A painful truth he had come to terms with a few months into his time spent in Tibet. "If I could have go back, I'd do things differently. I shouldn't have left the way that I did. I'm sorry I didn't say 'goodbye'."

He'd run off like a coward into the night. Meeting up with Master Fu before disappearing from their lives for what he had thought might very well be forever. The only thing that would haunt him more than the horrified look the elderly man had given him when he had learned the truth was the tears in the eyes of the girl he had fallen in love with as he had announced brutally that he was leaving. Turning his back had been easier than facing them.

The regret had struck him almost instantly. The only thing more powerful had been shame at his own actions and weakness. How could he face them after all of that? They were his friends, they would understand, the old man had told him time and time again, practically begging him to do so little as write. The words had never come. He had found himself faced with the consequences standing alone atop a lonely mountainside. His only remaining companion was his kwami. For a while, he'd hoped it would be enough. Without the distraction of his master's teachings, the images of his former life had been quick to return to haunt him. They'd proved to be impossible to ignore, almost as if something was calling him back to them. He'd left, packing what little he had and returned to Paris. Confused, lost and woefully unprepared... He told them as much. A complicated tale to tell given that even today he wasn't entirely sure what had driven him to act the way he had. Fear, he suspected, was mostly to blame.

The others had more questions, he could tell. They listened to him intently, finally receiving at least some of the answers they had been denied for so long. It wouldn't be enough, at least he didn't think so but it was better than nothing and right now probably all that he could reasonably offer. He tried to remain relaxed, to stay at ease. It was true there was a certain amount of resignation in his attitude that caused him to just sit there, his limbs feeling heavy. He answered a few questions, mostly about just what his life had been like there. Yes, it had been harsh, brutal at times but he'd coped with it, adapted until it no longer registered.

"The thing I don't get, is when did you decide to become a guardian?!" Nino shook his head, evidently still somewhat confused.

"It wasn't exactly a lifelong dream of mine..." Adrien confessed lowering his head. "I needed something. I didn't know what it was... I guess, I did find some peace up there, at least for a while."

He would have been lying if he claimed otherwise. It had taken him some time to settle down, to get accustomed to everything from the exercise routine, to the diet and altitude. Once he had though, the memories of his parents had slowly faded away, the pain with it. He tried to explain how he had been encouraged to let go of his guilt, that it had no place in him. This was a time for a new start. Did that include his former friends? It shouldn't have. He could see that much now. Suddenly, his master's words made somewhat more sense. He hadn't understood at the time. How could he put that part of his life behind him and still hold onto a part of it. Sitting there with his friends, seeing their faces once more. It taught him to hope.

Tonight was an odd one. This was the first time that they had been together properly since he had returned. Adrien hoped to be able to exclude that pathetic attempt he had made to distance himself from them. It was an opportunity to be savoured... If they could stop their questions that was. This was beginning to feel like something of an interrogation:

"-but, did you want to?" This time it was Chloe who questioned him, her voice uncharacteristically soft.

"The world needs the guardians. If we don't exist then there's no one to manage the miraculouses." He hesitated a moment, looking around. "I think dinner should be about ready."

They nodded, getting to their feet. He escorted them into the dinning room. It was a room which they had only ever set foot in the room twice, at least with an invitation. During the battle against Hawk Moth and Mayura, he'd rather lost track of just where the fight had spiraled into. Nathalie had already set all of the seats for them. Almost instantly, as soon as they entered their attention fell upon the large portrait. It was admittedly hard to ignore the figure of his mother, still throning over everything like the near-god she had become for a while in the Agreste household. The eery sensation it created was shared by all. Even Nathalie, a woman usually far beyond such things as everyday emotions, never seemed entirely comfortable under the woman's green gaze.

"Yeah… I need to redecorate." Was all he could think to say. "But it's hard to find paintings with secret passages in mind."

"Do you even still use that thing?" Nino questioned averting his eyes from the image.

"I store some stuff up there." He replied honestly. "-and it's a good place for my workout. You guys settle down, I'll go and serve."

The group did as they were told, chosing their seats without any particular care for who sat where. There was more than enough space for everyone. Just why their dining table was so huge would forever be a mystery to Adrien. Even back in the days when his family had been whole, they had never had many people round. Barely any at all for that matter. The most he could ever recall was one evening when it had been him, his parents and the Bourgeois family – if that bizarre Christmas meal wasn't counted that was. Yet they had this massive thing which sometimes felt as if it could sit half the city and always felt terribly lonely when he had been having his lunches and dinners by himself. With six of them, he was hoping that it would be a little bit more lively.

Heading back towards the kitchen, the young man found himself hovering briefly by the door, listening to their chatter. He didn't care necessarily to easedrop to an extent where he was able to pick up everything that they were saying, it was more the tone which interested him. They sounded... Relaxed. That was a good sign he supposed.

He found the stew still bubbling away on low-heat. A quick smell confirmed that it was all alright. Next to him, Plagg hovered over it unenthouasiastically. He wasn't a big fan of the age old recipes from the guardians. Apparently, cheese was infinitely more preferable and the best there was, of course, was camembert. Ensuring that he was wearing some heatproof oven-gloves, he took the pot off of the stove and placed it on the worksurface. Hopefully his calculations would be correct and there would be enough for his friends. The sound of some high-heels clicking on the floor behind him caused the young man to turn around. Apparently he had some reinforcements which was probably a good thing because, he hadn't thought this through enough to know just how to carry the pot plus the associated bowls.

"Need a hand?"

"If you'd be so kind..." The woman frowned at the bowls, raising her gaze to meet his. "I'm going to take a wild guess and assume that your guests are probably thirsty."

"Did I forget to ask them if they wanted anything?"

"Yes, you did."

"I'll get them something." He declared trying to sneak into the kitchens.

"Let me. I know the combination to your father's wine cellar."

"Wine?"

"Trust me, they might not complain but they might be expecting a bit more than water." She added a second after, with what he thought might have been a slight smile. "We are French after all."

He nodded in somewhat puzzled agreement. He trusted his father's former assistant's judgement where such matters were concerned. He'd forgotten about the wine cellar. It was yet another place he'd been strickly forbidden to enter (although perhaps not as secret as the two lairs). Whilst she was dealing with that, he carried the bowls through, promising to be back in a few seconds with the rest of the meal. By the time he did so, Nathalie had already returned and was in the process of serving his guests. The sight of his friends indulging in alcohol struck him as decidedly strange. In his mind, they were still the same group who would have been content with a nice glass of soda. Things changed, he supposed.

The food was met with a mixture of curiosity and suspicion as he served it out to them by the ladleful. Nathalie had pulled a similar expression when he had first tried to serve her some. He hoped, that like her, they would taste it and decide that it wasn't too bad. Either that or he was going to have to go with the assistant's initial suggestion of a takeaway. At least they didn't protest too vocally about it. Push it around the plate however was something which all but Marinette partook in. He sat returned to the kitchen, fetching his own food as well as a plate of camembert for Plagg before returning.

"Looks nice..." Alya was the first one to speak up about the matter. "What is it?"

"Just tofu, rice and vegetables." He assured them, if they studied the plates, they would be able to tell as much.

"You're just eating bread and noodles?" Marinette questioned, her eyes fixing his plateful.

"Yeah. What you're having right now is what I'd have for lunch." He found himself being fixed by some somewhat dubious eyes. He shrugged in an non-apology. "I need my calories."

"But, dude, you actually cooked this?" His old friend still seemed unable to comprehend what he'd been told. "I thought you just burned stuff!"

"Yeah... Master wasn't impressed with my cookery skills." Adrien laughed somewhat nervously as he thought back to it.

"I still have nightmares about your macaroons..." The DJ could help but comment.

He laughed softly. Amused by the memories of Marinette's father's cooking classes and how badly he'd failed in them. It had been about the only class that his father hadn't viewed as being essential that he mastered, albeit he would no doubt have prefered his son not to be an embarassement in any domain, no matter how trivial. Whether or not he would have appreciated the dinner was something which Adrien couldn't say. The food was intended to be nutritional above all else and no doubt wasn't part of the fine-dining his family was generally accustomed to. For his part, his exercise routine meant that when it roled around to meal time, he was starved. He didn't waste much time when it came to eating. His friends were either being extremely polite and forcing the grub down themselves or it couldn't be that bad.

His eyes rested on his friends. So many years had passed and yet they didn't seem to have changed all that much. Did Paris have that sort of an effect on people? Maybe he was just imagining it. They'd spent so much time talking about him, he felt like his opportunity to get to know them was slipping through his fingers.

"So... You guys. What's happened whilst I was away?"

"With no akumas, things have been quiet." Alya informed him looking up from her plate.

"Well yeah but I meant you guys... It's been a decade!" It was a fact he didn't need to remind anyone about. "How have things been with you?"

He got a basic rundown. Marinette had already told him some of what was going on. The gang had stayed together, right through lycée. It was only afterwards that they'd had been forced to go their own ways. With Nino off the bat having a go at his own career in the music industry. For the moment, most of his activities were limited to private gigs (many of which involved some of Chloe's now famous parties). Adrien had started to read the paper which Alya now wrote in. It felt odd seeing his friend's name at the bottom of articles but a part of him wasn't entirely surprised by the direction of her career path. Chloe was – well, he struggled to understand her explanation – it sounded a lot like she was following in her mother's footsteps...

They sounded bubbly, enthouasiastic. Their lives had been working out well it would seem. They mentioned a few of the others. Names from the past he hadn't dared to look up yet. Including the former miraculous holders in his return to the city had been a safe enough choice. They were less likely to freak out given that they knew both of his identities. They might not understand why he had left them but at least they would know that he didn't actually pose a threat. Perhaps, Nino suggested, if they were careful and asked around a bit first, it might be possible to organise some sort of class reunion. Almost everyone had remained in the city after all. Nobody, it would seem had ever really blamed Adrien for what had happened, those who knew him seemed to have too good an opinion of boy to ever believe him to be capable of assisting his parents.

There was a brief pause in the discussion as the meal drew to a close, a somewhat uncomfortable silence which settled in. Finally, it was Chloe who dared to speak:

"So are you, like, staying?"

"I'd like to..."

"That's not an answer." Alya reminded him, her voice pointed.

"I can't lie." Apparently Marinette hadn't told them that much or they'd forgotten. "I can't promise you guys I'll never, ever leave but I certainly don't plan to. I'd like to make this my home... With my friends..."

It was a diplomatic response and probably not quite what they had wanted to hear but for the moment at least, it was the best he could offer. Somehow, he seemed to be enough however as they neither brought it up again nor insisted. He relaxed somewhat, reminding Plagg about manners as he watched the kwami wolf down more camembert in a matter of minutes than he could probably have managed over an entire mealtime. He supposed that expecting the little creature to behave had been somewhat naïve of him given that he knew its nature. Whilst not exactly malicious, he most certainly could be michievous. Now, in the rare situation of not actually having to bother about keeping himself hidden. He could be himself... Adrien was still far from convinced that was a blessing.

They smiled and even laughed. Reminiscing about old times, villains fought and victories won... Until Nathalie cleaned her throat, apparently being kicked in the face by Rena Rouge wasn't the fondest memory that she had. Supervillains were quickly removed from the discussion for fear of causing offense. Thankfully, their time at Françoise Dupont high still held more than enough fond memories for them to focus on. There was a shadow which hung over those years which hadn't been there initially, not right up until the day that he'd fled. When it had been just them against Hawk Moth and Mayura, things had seemed somewhat abstract. Yes, they were fighting supervillains but despite the danger, it almost seemed as if the threat was far enough away that when the masks finally did fall, they would be non-entities who they would be able to put behind bars without a second thought. Madmen, for lack of a better word, bent on world domination. Not his mother and father and the family secretary who at some point, had decided that she might as well go along for the ride.

He tried his best to forget about them as they talked about those days when the five of them had leapt over rooftops as if it were nothing. He forced a smile, trying to forget about the woman's portrait which still to this day felt as if it was looking down at him. It was in the past now, there was nothing he could do to change what had been.

The night rolled on. He didn't even notice that it was late until Alya practically jumped out of her seat. Half past one... Not usually a problem but she had a report due tomorrow and it still wasn't quite finished it would seem. Adrien smiled understandingly, feeling somewhat tired himself. Usually by this time he would be wrapped up in bed and sleeping. His guests excused themselves, complementing him on his cooking at they got to their feet and gathered their personal belongings together. Nathalie fetched the coats which they would doubtlessly need given that the rain was still lashing down outside, allowing the group to spend a few brief moments in private. Strangely, for the most part, they were full of silence. His friends exchanged some brief glances before Chloe cautiously spoke out:

"You know Adrikens, we were thinking of getting together next week for Jagged Stone's concert. Would you like to come?"

"Jagged Stone?! Of course, I'd love to!" Even after all these years, he remained a fond admirer of the rock star.

"For real?! Cool!"

They promised to meet up some time before and to all go down together. A specific time and location for them to meet up could be decided later as they exchanged phone numbers before one by one leaving. Whilst Nino and Alya intended to head home together, a walk in the rain didn't seem to faze either of the two as they bid them "goodnight". Adrien was somewhat surprised to hear that Chloe and Marinette were sharing a ride curtusy of Jean the butler. Things must have changed a great deal in ten years, not that he was complaining. Having two of his friends bickering the way that they usually did had never been a particularly enjoyable part of their relationship. He didn't know just what had happened to make the two young women be willing to share car space but he wasn't about to question it.

His gaze fell upon Marinette as they waited by the entrance for the girls' ride to arrive. She'd been remarkably quiet all evening... More so than the others. He couldn't help but wonder if she might have still been upset by his prior behaviour. A soft and gentle smile which she offered him seemed to indicate that that wasn't the case.

"I really enjoyed myself tonight. Thank you." She spoke after a few seconds.

"My pleasure." Was all that he could think to say as a response. "I'm really sorry for pushing you guys away in the first place. It was a mistake."

"We all make them..." The young woman assured him with the warmest of looks before a large black car pulling up outside attracted her attention. "Looks like my ride's here. Goodnight Adrien."

"Goodnight Marinette..."

A quick bise was enough to say goodbye to both young women. Guided by some force he couldn't comprehend and was barely aware of, he found himself standing on the porch, watching as the car drove away and vanished into the dark of the night. Plagg sheltered inside of his pocket, complaining bitterly about his decision to stand outside during such a downpour. His words barely even seemed to register with the young man as he stood out there seemingly oblivious to the rain hammering down. He replayed some of the night's events through his head. Wishing he'd said some things and done others differently. There was always tomorrow he supposed. He spent a short while longer fixing the road mindlessly, as if he half expected to see the car return and Marinette with it.

Eventually, the cold and his own tiredness hit him like a ton of bricks causing him to turn back around and head back inside. Nathalie, still holding the door open, shut it behind him. She didn't so much bat an eyelid as the now drenched (and entirely avoidable) state of her employer. Instead, she declared rather matter of factly:

"That seemed to go comparatively well."

Adrien didn't speak. Instead, he turned around and offered the woman a slight smile and a nod of the head. In those few seconds, he embraced a certain sensation of freedom as if a weight had just been lifted off of his chest..

 _/_

 _Thanks again for the reviews!_


	8. Small steps

Christmas rolled around faster than Adrien had expected to the extent where he actually found himself wondering if he still remembered the date correctly. His friends laughed, assuring him that a centuries old tradition hadn't suddenly changed days in a decade. It was still celebrated on the 25th of December. As if the lights which had been hung up since the middle of November weren't enough of a clue, he had come home one day to find a piece of tinsel carefully wrapped around the doorhandle of the front door. A reminder that they might want to get started with the decorating. Nathalie denied all knowledge, finding it more likely that "Mr. Lahiffe" was responsible.

He hadn't argued about the matter and instead had departed the very same day to get a tree or at least attempted to. One glance at his car had been enough to convince him that there was no way he was going to get a decent sized tree in there. Thankfully, one of the many benefits of owning one of the world's biggest fashion companies was that it was relatively easy to have a near perfect one delivered right to his very doorstep. In the space of three hours, which he would usually have dedicated to work of one kind or another anyway, Agreste mansion found itself decorated for the first time in over a decade. Even Nathalie, usually one to bury herself in work as much as she could, lended a hand, to his surprise, voluntarily and without being asked discarding her tablet to aid him with putting up the lights. He might have been imagining it but there was a certain festive atmosphere around the house which he couldn't recall existing since that one time his father had suffered a _coup de folie_ and allowed him to have his friends and their families in for dinner.

It was somewhat later that evening when he departed to go and meet up with his friends. He couldn't afford to spend every single day of the week with them but meeting up at least twice had become something of a routine this past month. Slowly, it felt as if they were building something. It wasn't what it had once been. Whilst there was no hostility or mistrust between them, they weren't the same group of enthousiastic and innocent youths they had started off as. Perhaps that would have happened anyhow. They had all grown up, shaped not only by the events that they had survived as teenagers but by a further decade of life experiences: many good but some painful. They would never know for sure but it was possible that what they were experiencing now was merely the natural evolution of their friendship.

Marinette wasn't about to complain about anything other than the freezing Parisien temperatures in mid-December and the icy wind which was blowing that night. If Nino and Alya had each other to snuggle up to as they walked along, the other three didn't. A warm scarf, hat and pair of gloves was what she was going to have to make due with. Chloe had already spent the best part of half an hour complaining about the numerous ways that this was terrible for both her look and her skin. Whilst ordinarily, the aspiring fashion designer would have been rolling her eyes by now, tonight, she was rather inclined to agree with her friend. Her attention fell upon Adrien, the only one who didn't appear to be trying to shrink away inside of his jacket:

"Aren't you cold?" She asked the young man.

"Not really..." He shrugged his shoulders indifferently. "It could get seriously chilly in Tibet. Summer was nice though."

He offered her a soft smile as they continued their little walk. The chill in the air was undeniable and encouraged the little group to remain perhaps more quiet than they usually would have been in other circumstances. Adrien in particular, was uncommonly quiet. He had scarcely spoken that evening other than when one of his friends asked him a direct question. His mind seemed elsewhere. Specifically the rooftops... Something up there seemed fascinating. More than once they'd asked him what it was. Nothing... He would assure them. Or once, "just a bird" he had claimed. She found it odd but otherwise didn't question it. He would no doubt still have an awful lot on his mind, not all of which he was willing to share.

She focused on the others' discussion instead, hoping that it would be enough to shake their friend out of whatever world he seemed to be drifting off to tonight. They were on the last leg of their journey. Living all within about half an hour's walk from one another, it was a relatively simple affair for them to go their seperate ways. Alya and Nino would break off as they went back to their flat, then Chloe, Marinette and finally Adrien who would make the last part on his own. The order might change depending on the route they were following but more often than not, they found themselves doing things in that order.

"So, you dudes ready for Chrismas next week?!" Nino spoke as they chatted a while in front of his street door.

"Of course, it's our busiest time of year at the bakery!" Marinette reminded them, her parents had been working almost non-stop trying to keep track of all of the orders.

"Daddikens is planning something so big... Not even I know!" Chloe answered fighting against her chattering teeth.

"What about you Adrien?" Alya questioned the young man, once more in a world of his own.

"Me?" He smiled fondly as if it was his automatic response to anything. "Christmas with Nathalie is an exchange of stationary items."

Marinette giggled slightly. As harsh as the description might have seem, she knew it to be largely accurate. She'd only seen an Agreste Christmas the once and knew that it had been under somewhat unusual circumstances. With just the two of them, she dared to hope that things might be a little more open and friendly not that the assistant was the warmest of people. For a moment, she contemplated inviting him round. Her parents wouldn't mind. On the contrary, they would probably welcome the young man if they thought it would mean he wasn't spending the day by himself or otherwise not making the most of it. They'd already gingerly drifted the idea past him. Once more, he'd seemed luke-warm about the concept. He'd been polite about the matter but he'd rather not be a burden on them.

They bid farewell to their two friends, promising to meet up at least once more before the holiday. Even once they had dropped off Chloe, Adrien still seemed to be quiet. They had grown somewhat accustomed to him drifting off to some place distant where they couldn't follow. It wasn't quite a common occurrence but for some reason, some days he just didn't seem to be entirely present. Tonight was different however, it was as if something had captured his attention and he was having a hard time ignoring it. More than once, she'd allowed her gaze to wander, trying to pinpoint whatever was disturbing him. So far, to no avail. A part of her was inclined to let things lie and assume it was just another one of the number of quirks which had followed him back from Tibet.

It was when they were about half way back to her house that she finally dared to ask, growing somewhat concerned and unnerved by the behaviour:

"Is everything alright?"

"It's nothing… I thought I saw something back there, on the rooftops, probably just a bird." He let out a brief but dry laugh. "Everything's so big and noisy here. It can be too much at times."

"You're still having trouble adjusting?" There was some genuine concern there, after a month she'd hoped he would be largely back to normal.

"Even when I lived here, it's not like I was allowed to go out a lot." His gaze fixed the space ahead of them absently. "I'm out of touch."

"Maybe you need to get out a bit more." She suggested cautiously.

"Maybe..."

For perhaps the first time that evening, his eyes rested on her for a few moments. His thoughts were a mystery. She'd grown somewhat accustomed to the fact that those green orbs weren't the same lively and enthusiastic ones which she'd known as a teenager. Something, somewhere had changed. Maybe he was just older now. He'd been forced to deal with more hardships in the space of one year than many would face in their lifetimes. His world had been turned on its head. That had to change a man. As of yet, they had tiptoed around the matter, unsure just what, if anything, Master Fu had done to try and help him through it. It was possible, although she prayed the old man would have been a little more sensitive, that nothing had been done and he'd been left to his own devices to heal.

She bit her lip, unwilling to say anything else about the matter. With time, he might open up some more. At least they hoped. The rest of the walk was spent in relative silence. She wanted to say something, anything to alleviate that fact but couldn't even begin to think of what would be able to break the ice. From time to time, his eyes would drift down to rest on her and then flicker away as soon as he realized he had been noticed so that his gaze rested somewhere else. Again, atypical behaviour for him. It was hard for her not to compare this young man to the teenager she'd fallen in love with. Even after the month or so since they'd been reunited, he still didn't quite feel right…

They were at the door before she was able to think about the issue any further. Adrien paused, fixing her as she stood there but remained quiet. He seemed a little lost, as if tonight he couldn't quite remember what he was supposed to do from here on out. All that was required was a simple 'goodbye' and 'see you around'. Yet there he was, green eyes wide and confused. The way he stared at her, it was almost as if she was a stranger to him. She hesitated on the doorstep, unable to do anything but gawk back. It must have looked awkward to anybody passing by. Hopefully her parents hadn't decided to chose that specific moment to look out of the window… It was with a somewhat nervous laugh that she decided to break the silence and put an end to the somewhat peculiar behaviour:

"Well… Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

It was a quiet statement. She waited until he had begun to turn away and walk the rest of the relatively short distance separating them from his house before turning back in turn to unlock the door and step in from the cold.

A hand on her left forearm stopped her in her tracks. Its hold wasn't violet or even rough. On the contrary, it was gentle ensuring that there was no possible way that he could hurt her. She turned back around to face the young man, wondering just what had gotten into his head. Marinette received no immediate answer. Whilst he might have grabbed her, Adrien still refused to raise his eyes to meet hers, instead fixing some part of the sidewalk a few feet away. She frowned, waiting patiently for an explanation. Time trickled by, her concern mounting with each passing second. When it seemed as if he was going to remain silent, she opened her mouth ready to ask. Curiously, it was then that he chose to speak:

"Marinette..." He spoke quietly, barely more than a whisper before leaving a pause. His green eyes rose to meet hers. "I'm sorry… I know I'm not who I was- Who you guys wanted back."

What to say to that?

For a few moments, all Marinette could do was stare. As her presence of mind gradually returned, her first instinct was to assure him that he was wrong. He was exactly the person they had waited for for over a decade. His fears were misplaced. Something stopped her however. It caused the denial which had formed on the tip of her tongue to get stuck. Instead, she found herself agreeing with the statement. At least in part. Given the choice, he wasn't the Adrien they had wanted back. They had longed for the cheery and innocent fourteen year old. He no longer existed. It had been both wrong and foolish of them to wish for him back… Now, faced with the lost young man who had returned, nobody seemed to know just what to do. She spoke, uncertainly desperate to find a way to express herself clearly without potentially breaking his heart:

"You've grown up. We all have..." She felt the heat rise to her cheeks with the awkwardness of the situation. "We just weren't with you when it happened. That's all. We must seem different to you too."

"No… Not really." He shook his head slowly. "It's like everything's stayed more or less the same but it's all so strange to me now."

She stared at him, unable to respond. It was the first time he'd ever expressed such doubts or confessed that he was having trouble adapting. As such, she found herself woefully unprepared to deal with it. She blinked a few times, struggling to think of what words of wisdom and comfort (if any) she could call upon. A part of her simply wanted to run over to her, slip her arms around his neck and let him know that it would be alright. They'd work something out together. The words didn't quite make it to her mouth however as he let her go, pulling away. He seemed to linger there for a second before out of nowhere, summoning a soft and gentle smile one which completely failed to match what he had just said:

"It's stupid. I know. I'll get over it!" He met her with a beaming smile. "Anyhow, see you around!"

Her mouth was open, waiting to call after him but it seemed as if he had already gone, moving quickly through the night and back towards the manor in the distance. For a moment, she contemplated charging after him but thought better of it. Something didn't quite feel right about tonight, she didn't know what it was. She would call or go to visit him in the morning. He could simply have been feeling a bit rough she supposed. They only ever saw him for couple of hours at a time and as Nathalie had informed them, it was almost always during his free time towards the end of the day after he'd been up since some ungodly hour and spent a large portion of his time training. In short, he quite often was running on fumes. It would be comforting to put his odd behaviour down to something so mundane…

"Marinette? Are you okay down there?!" She heard someone call out from above her.

"Fine!" She looked up to see her parents, somewhat concerned glancing down at her, they must have heard some of the exchange, she realized. "Be right up!"

She gave the young man a sorrowful glance as he disappeared off into the distance, deciding that she would be better off trying to talk to him sooner rather than later.

Adrien arrived home not long after. He walked briskly through the streets, not so much bothered by the cold as eager to find some shelter in one of the few places that seemed familiar. The mansion, where he'd grown up, was an island in the middle of the city. It offered the possibility to escape, to find some tranquillity. The only other occupants wouldn't bother him – other than for something essential to do with the business or cheese – even then, more often than not they could tell when he needed some time alone. Nathalie, diligent as ever let him in. Her eyes followed him as he made his way into the building. His own gaze flickering around outside rapidly, desperate to get one last glimpse of the city before the door was shut once more.

"You seem on edge..." The woman noted, some concern in her voice.

He simply shrugged, unwilling to deny the fact that something, somewhere was wrong. He simply couldn't put his finger on it.

Instead, he allowed himself to drift listlessly into the living room instead. He flopped down uselessly on the couch, his head dangling off of the end so that the world appeared to be upside down. Nathalie followed. At this time, she would usually have been contemplating retiring to her quarters for a quiet read before bed. There was a certain routine, a tradition almost of her bidding her employer goodnight. She wondered if he would even make it back to his bedroom given how utterly spent he suddenly appeared to be. Watching him as he lay there, she found herself wondering if he might have actually fallen asleep. It was only when he opened one eye, peering at her that she realized he wasn't:

"Nathalie, can you tell me something?"

"I can tell you a good deal, much of which I doubt you'd be interested in and some I'm certain you'd find offensive."

"About girls." He clarified a second later, not put off by her response.

"Girls in general, one in particular or Miss Dupain-Cheng?"

He signalled her with three fingers. For once, Nathalie didn't even attempt to hide her disgruntlement, letting out a frustrated sigh as she rolled her eyes. It wasn't lost on the young man, who turned over slightly. There was still an expectation behind his eyes as he fixed her, apparently the not-so-subtle hints that she was giving him weren't quite enough. She'd been afraid that something like this would happen and now found herself faced with the consequences in the form of a 24 year old with little to no experience of matters of the heart. She knew that in his youth, he had been something of a hopeless romantic. The man? She was less sure about but she found it hard to believe that he had changed quite that much.

She found herself thinking back to simpler times, before miraculouses and superpowers… When she'd just been an assistant to a wealthy businessman with a young son who needed looking after:

"This is one of the three discussions I swore to your father I would never have with you!"

"The others being?" The young man queried, despite everything, he remained remarkably curious about certain aspects of his parents' past.

"The birds and the bees and just why your parents were trying to destroy Paris." She replied thinking back to the discussion.

"See, you've already told me about both those things!"

Nathalie frowned. She was quite close to giving him a forceful "goodnight" and leaving matters there. She knew the young man well enough to know that he wouldn't chase her or hold it against her. Still, there was something about the innocent confusion which caused her to linger there. If nothing else, the assistant reasoned, if she could prevent a mistake from being made. It would spare her the headache and hardship of having to try and repair (or help her boss repair) the damage later on if he somehow managed to make a mess. With a resigned sigh, she allowed herself to collapse into a nearby armchair. Trying to ignore what she was about to do, the woman spoke:

"So what's the matter? Have you unintentionally insulted the poor girl again or do you just need tips on how to do so?"

"No!" He raised his hands defensively. "I don't think so, at least… It's just. I really like her."

"Look, Adrien…" She was done with the sarcasm for the time being, treating the issue with some seriousness. "I'm not exactly the best person to be talking to about this kind of thing, you'd probably be better off with your kwami."

"You must have been in love before." The young man argued back before turning to Plagg. "The only thing he cares about is cheese!"

" _Love_ , as you know, is a very powerful word..." The assistant reminded him. "Look, if you like her. Talk to her. Go on a date! Do what most people your age would."

She could see him thinking the notion through. Running it over in his mind. It shouldn't have been such an alien concept to him, perhaps it wouldn't have been at one time or if he'd been allowed to enjoy a regular youth. She was rather inclined to excuse herself, to go upstairs and give in to the tiredness and get some sleep in preparation for yet another day of trying to drag a fashion company back up from the depths. She was half-way to pushing herself up when she realized that Adrien wasn't quite done yet. She fought the urge to roll her eyes and tell him to get a move on. Instead, summoning what little remained of her professional demeanour as he finally asked:

"And how would I do that?"

Marinette looked up at her ceiling mindlessly. Sleep wasn't coming as easily tonight as she had hoped it might. Her mind was troubled. The image of her friend, so lost and confused haunted her. There was little doubt in her mind that she had to try doing something… But what? It would be hard to convince him to change his ways, especially when she couldn't immediately think of just what she could advise him to do. Opening up would be a good start, making an effort. It was probably arrogant to assume that he wasn't doing that much already. A month, she reasoned, wasn't a lot of time in the scheme of things. It might take a good deal longer before he was healed completely or at the very least had gotten used to his surroundings once more. Maybe time really could mend all…

Still, his confession lingered on her conscience.

It was yet another one of those circumstances where she found herself longing for Tikki. Whilst Alya could and often did provide good advice. There was something about the kwami's insight which Marinette had found herself deeply missing these years. It hadn't just been Adrien who had left that day after all… Her strange little companion had left a strange hole which she'd never ever tried to fill and she sensed would have been of much use to her at a time such as this. She always seemed to know just what to do and what to say, even in the most complicated of situations. Marinette let out a sigh, wondering if perhaps the new guardian of the miraculouses might let them see their former partners. Not to wield their power but simply to talk…

She was disturbed by her phone which abruptly began to ring, causing her to sit bolt upright in her bed from fright. Who on earth would call her at such a time?! She grabbed the device, eager to silence it before it woke up the entire household. Somehow, she wasn't all that surprised to see the name Adrien Agreste pop up. Rubbing her eyes, she answered slightly concerned:

"Adrien?"

"Hi, Mari..." He sounded unsure, nervous even. "Is this a bad time?"

"What? No..." A lie, she would rather not have been dealing with him this late/early in the day. "Is everything okay?"

"Yes. It's fine…" His voice trailed off, leaving a slightly uneasy pause. "I was just wondering… Would you, maybe like to- Go for a drink or something?"

"It'll depend what day and you'll have to check with the others but yeah-"

"No." He cut her short before adding in a timid voice. "I meant just you and me."

"What?" Surprise caused her to raise her voice slightly, waking her up completely. "Like a date?"

"Yeah..."

At one time she would have jumped at the opportunity. Said "yes" without even thinking about it. She had dreamed of such a chance for over a year, sitting in class and daydreaming about the golden haired boy with green eyes.

To her surprise however, she found herself hesitating. She couldn't have said what it was but something caused her to think the matter over twice. He wasn't that same boy whom she'd stared longingly at. He was a very different person. Not a bad one, not by any means but changed enough for her to be more than aware of the fact. That asides, she found herself wondering if given his current state of mind, it would necessarily in his best interests. The last thing she wanted was to end up one way or another confusing him any more than he already was. On the other hand, what harm could one date do? She was hardly committing to spending the rest of her life with him. It might let the two of them come back to terms with just what their feelings were after a decade.

"Okay…" She replied in a quiet voice, too sleepy to think about the matter any further. "What time and where?"

"I uh… Can I get back to you on that?" She got a slightly nervous laugh from the other end. "I may have forgotten to think that one through – Oh come on, don't roll your eyes!"

"What?"

"Sorry, not you. I was talking to Nathalie..." He explained a little sheepishly.

"Okay." Despite everything, she couldn't help but giggle in response. "I tell you what, you know the Café at the corner near the Place des Vosges?"

"Yeah..."

"How about there?" She suggested eager to sort things out as opposed the leaving them in uncertainty.

"Sure…" He sounded enthusiastic, cheerier than he had been. "Maybe, Wednesday at 7?"

"Sounds good." She agreed feeling exhaustion taking over her once more.

"This isn't a good time to be calling, is it?"

"It's a little early." She couldn't help but comment.

"Sorry… Anyhow, see you on Wednesday!"

"Goodnight Adrien."

"Goodnight."

She hung up. A part of her wondered just what on earth she'd just done and couldn't help but be concerned that she might end up regretting her decision. In the morning, she would likely be able to think the matter over a bit more clearly. For now, she found herself longing for sleep. Her head found the pillow and she was out like a light a few seconds later.

 _/_

 _Thanks again for the review!_


	9. Frozen in a moment

There was actually some snow in the air as Marinette made her way towards her rendez-vous spot. She had spent a portion of the afternoon watching it float down slowly from the sky above. Whilst some of it was settling, there wasn't quite enough to form much depth. Instead, it formed a thin powdery coating over the entire city. As beautiful as it was, the young woman had also learned to her expense that it could be quite treacherous. The layer both concealing potential ice underneath and also being plain old slippery even by itself. Already, just on her way to the café, she'd seen a couple of people almost hit the deck and one car struggle to stop itself before it collided with a taxi.

She might have taken more of an opportunity to take note of how the snow changed the look of some of the buildings and the beauty of her surroundings were it not for the fact that she was running so fast. It had proved to be hard to concentrate be that evening be it on her upcoming project for Jagged Stone's album cover or her essay which was due in next week. Her mind had been elsewhere, specifically focused on tonight. It was impossible to remove the image of the young man from her mind. Her doubts had doubled, leading to only more uncertainty. This seemed a little premature. She'd told her parents about where she was going. They'd seemed oddly enthusiastic about the notion of her going on a date with him but like her, shared some of her apprehension. Her aim was to enjoy herself but be careful. Not that she thought Adrien might hurt her, he wasn't a violent person, it was more the potential emotional damage they risked exposing themselves to which were the concern.

Still, she'd made her choice. Truth been told, she was rather looking forwards to it.

At least, she had been until she'd checked the time and realized she only had ten minutes to make it to the designated meeting spot. Whilst not an impossible challenge, it did require her to sprint. She forced herself to travel as quickly as her legs would allow, struggling to avoid colliding with the other pedestrians and tourists making their way around the city. If she did indeed make it in time, it would be nothing short of a miracle. The young woman dared not even look at her phone to see how much time she had left. Given the stress which lay underneath it all, being late was the last thing that she wanted. The café was in sight however and no sign of Adrien… For once, she was relieved. Skidding to a halt, she allowed herself to breathe.

The café was fairly busy, she glanced inside at the groups drinking together in the warmth. With the Christmas decorations up, there seemed to be quite a warm ambiance coming from the building. She tried not to stare at any one individual for too long, unwilling to risk seeming nosy.

"Hey there Marinette..."

She managed to hold back the surprised shriek as she realized there was someone standing just behind her. Instead, she managed to control herself, turning around to face the young man. Whether she simply hadn't noticed him in her panicked arrival or he had managed to sneak up on her afterwards, she couldn't say. She wasn't about to question the matter. Her confused and somewhat startled expression gave way to a gentle smile as she brushed some of her hair behind her ear. His soft expression seemed to indicate that he was genuinely pleased to see her as well.

"Sorry about being late..." She was assuming that she was, based solely on what time she'd left the house.

"You're not late." He assured her with a gentle smile. "I only just got here. I take it you want to go inside?"

"As opposed to sitting out here in the snow? Yes, I think so."

He nodded once before gesturing for her to lead the way. She obliged, heading into the Café. It was pleasantly warm inside, far better than it was out there in the snow at any rate. Entering slowly, they found a table in the corner and settled there. Marinette was quick to unwrap her scarf and take her coat off. The young man did the same settling down opposite her so that his back was to the rest of the room. There were butterflies in the pit of her stomach. This scenario was one which she had dreamed of for months during her teenage years. She had grown up since then and there was a strange nervousness which took hold of her. She forced a smile, trying to appear as relaxed as possible. Adrien returned the gesture. Smiling docilely, he appeared to be relatively calm given the situation.

Despite that, there was a silence which hung in the air. Once more, both found themselves struggling to think of anything to say. An icebreaker was required. Unable to think of anything immediately, the young woman's gaze travelled around the room in search of something, anything to start a conversation. She found it outside in the form of the snow which continued to fall:

"It's chilly today." A somewhat irrelevant comment.

"Yeah. We might even have a white Christmas." The young man glanced out of the window, losing himself in the falling powder for a while. "Thanks for coming Marinette."

"Well… I'm happy to be here." She replied with a soft smile.

Adrien's green eyes softened as they rested upon her. She allowed herself to relax. Exhaling a soft sigh, she felt the tension in her muscles vanish. So far, the awkwardness was the worst part. She tried to think back to the first date she had been on. She discounted her somewhat unusual encounter with Evillustrator, that was a bizarre set of circumstances and the knowledge that her partner for the evening was akumatized hadn't exactly helped her relax. Her first proper date had been with Luka. She could recall being timid, nervous. In the early days, the image of her former crush had lingered in her mind, spoiling things. Juleka's brother had been good at appeasing her soul, allowing her to accept the loss. It hadn't taken much for her to find herself at ease with him.

They'd only been sitting together for a couple of minutes now, she was likely overthinking matters. The waiter arrived a few moments later to take their orders. With the weather outside as nippy as it was, she decided to forgo any wine or beer. Something a little warmer was required. She opted for a coffee. She wasn't all that surprised when Adrien ordered water, she was yet to see him indulge in anything else.

"Do you ever drink anything else?" She found herself asking once the waiter had left them.

"I drink tea but the stuff you have here doesn't taste the same." He informed her with an indifferent shrug. "It doesn't bother me."

"That stuff you made when we visited you was really nice." It was an attempt to stretch out the conversation.

"Thanks. Master used to make it better though." Adrien frowned for a moment. "You tried some of his tea, didn't you?"

"Once or twice." The young woman recalled thinking back to the few times she visited the old man. "I didn't spend half as much time with him as you did."

She reminded herself that the man had only been dead a couple of months. It could easily still be a sensitive subject for her friend given that he'd spent over a decade in his company. Perhaps in a while, when she knew a little bit more about just who he was and what made him tick then it would be safer to start asking about that part of his life. There were thousands of other things that they could talk about which didn't risk causing any upset. Their drinks arrived a moment later, providing a pause which allowed her to try and think of another subject better suited. As always, it was the quantity of questions which she had which prevented her from getting anywhere. Taking a sip of his drink, Adrien was the one to break the silence. It was with a slight blush and an uncertain tone that he admitted:

"This is officially my first date."

"I had figured as much." Her discussion over the phone with him and the presence of Nathalie had been enough to clue her in. "It can be a little intimidating, right?"

"Yeah… I never was much good with girls." He managed to muffle a chuckle. "No matter what approach I tried."

"Your Adrien wasn't too bad." Marinette offered him a knowing smile, catching onto what he meant. "It was Cat Noir's timing which needed perfecting."

"He was a little over the top at times, I'll grant you."

They both exchanged a grin. For the past decade, she'd only been able to talk about such matters with her innermost circle of friends, those who had actually been miraculous holders with her. That wasn't to say that Paris had forgotten its heroes. Theo's statue still had pride of place in the park and Heroes' day was still celebrated once a year, on the anniversary of the defeat of Hawk Moth and Mayura. They wondered where they had gone. Initially, when Ladybug and her allies had vanished, people had expected them to appear somewhere else that might need them. They never had and so, they had been made into the guardian angels of Paris, manifesting themselves only in its darkest hours. That meant that they had to be careful. Adrien must have known that people would be watching him, if somehow anything even remotely akuma related or otherwise supernatural happened to occur, he would undoubtedly get the blame.

Something occurred to Marinette in those few instants which for some reason, hadn't up until then. She was talking to both Adrien and Cat Noir. There were things that she'd kept from one in fear of the other discovering and vice-versa. The biggest secret she'd ever kept from either was just whom Ladybug had turned Cat Noir down for. She found herself hesitating, wondering if it was a matter which should have remained buried. Glancing down at her coffee, stirring it mindlessly with her spoon as she waited for it to be cool enough for her to drink. After all, a voice in her head seemed to say, he must have spent quite some time wondering as well. Timidly, she raised her gaze to meet his, wondering if she had the courage to confess now what she'd never been able to say before. Somehow, it just slipped out:

"I… Had a serious crush on you when we were in school."

"What?!" Adrien's gaze shot up to meet hers. "Why didn't you say?"

"I was a bag of nerves." She confessed looking away.

"So…" It was clear that his mind was working quickly, figuring things out. "That boy, the one that you told Cat Noir about, that was me?"

"Yeah." She laughed nervously. "Silly, huh?"

"Makes me feel foolish." He admitted his smile spoke of the fact that he was somewhat amused by the whole thing. "I really could be blind."

"Apparently it's a guy thing."

He didn't deny it, simply smiling in response.

Over the past decade, she'd spent hours in total wondering about what would have happened if she'd told him how she felt or if once, before the end, the masks had fallen. It was pointless, she conceded, only good to waste time with. Still, she couldn't help but wonder if things might have turned out differently if they had both been a bit more open and honest with one another. At the time it had seemed wise and safe but now, she couldn't help but doubt from time to time. They would never know.

Chatter seemed to come somewhat more easily after that. They avoided touchy subjects or overly serious ones, preferring to think back to days past or talk about the mundane of their present. Adrien seemed to be somewhat out of touch with higher education (hardly surprising give that he'd missed out those hours of guidance courses the rest of the class had been subjected to), as such, she found herself explaining a good deal to him after he asked just what it was exactly that she was studying for. He seemed curious, eager to learn but unable to get it through his head why she needed a degree to progress in the fashion world:

"I don't get it..." He muttered for about the fourth time that evening. "You're so talented. I think so, Jagged Stone thinks so, so does Audrey Bourgeois - heck, even my father thought so! Why do you need a degree?"

"You know how it is – well… You don't but that doesn't matter – you need a degree for everything these days, at least that's what papa says."

"Well yeah but-" He paused looking for the right words to avoid causing offence. "It's still years from your life."

"Says the guy who spent a decade on a mountain side." She was unable to stop it from slipping out.

"Touché..." Dread seemed to creep over him all of a sudden. "You think that means I'm going to have to get a degree too?"

"I don't know." Marinette shrugged her head, not wanting to give her friend bad advice. "You must be earning money somehow. You've got a Ferrari."

"Porsche." He corrected. "I don't know where any of that comes from. Sales I guess."

"You must do something, it's _your_ company." She stressed the point to him.

"I do." He huffed, pretending to be offended. "I do exactly what Nathalie tells me."

 _If that woman ever leaves, the company will go under in half an hour…_ Marinette couldn't help but think to herself.

Her eyes couldn't help but drift to behind the young man to fix the rest of the bar. The other groups had grown somewhat quieter, speaking in hushed tones. It had started a few minutes ago, a whisper or two exchanged between the odd couple. Now, it seemed to have taken over the rest of those present. More than one set of eyes were fixing them. A few, when they noticed that she had caught sight of them, were swift to look elsewhere. She was quick to glance back down at her now empty mug, trying not to pay them any attention. Still, her unease must have been fairly obvious, as she sat there, a slight blush occupying her features and trying to ensure that she only focused on her companion without her gaze wandering anywhere else. Adrien must have sensed it too, glancing over his shoulder. When he turned back, he wore a soft and understanding smile:

"I don't suppose you want to go for a walk?" He suggested, quite calm.

She nodded shyly in response, eager to get out from the over-attentive gazes of those trying to get a glimpse of Adrien Agreste. As they had been so unfortunate as to discover in the past, the crowds only tended to multiply the longer they tried to hang around in any given area and word spread fast in Paris. They wasted no time, despite her friends insistence that he paid the entirety of the bill, she convinced him to let them slit it given that she'd already had a Chinese meal free of charge at his expense.

Escaping back out into the cold of the night, Adrien took the precaution of pulling his hood up, obscuring at least some of his features. Shivering slightly, Marinette gave him a slight smile informing him that she was ready to continue. They walked along, following the Seine west. The city was quieter than usual, the chilly temperatures having no doubt discouraged many from venturing out into the streets. It was all the more pleasant from it. Walking side by side, they continued their discussions. Her friend asked after their classmates, eager to know how Kim, Rose and Juleka amongst others. She told him of what she knew, which was comparatively a lot. All of them had stayed in touch. Some of them, she informed him, wanted to know how he was doing, too timid to ask him themselves.

"I'd love to talk to them again..." He confessed looking down at his feet.

"We could maybe organise something." Marinette suggested, it would take some planning but was far from impossible. "It would be nice for us to all get together again."

"Yeah. I haven't seen them since the day I skipped school." His voice trailed off.

"Of course… We didn't know. We never thought that-"

"We had Nino locked up in a cellar." There was bitterness there, clear as could be. "Yeah. It was a bit of a surprise for me too. That's when I realized just what my parents were..."

More unpleasant memories. She regretted the conversation going that way but it was her companion himself who had brought it that way. It was impossible for her not the think back to that terrible day. The panic of not knowing where their friend was and the horror of eventually discovering just where he had been hidden. None of it had made sense, they hadn't been able to think about it that much in the heat of the action. How to wonder just what was motivating Hawk Moth, Mayura and their assistant when all three were fighting tooth and nail to stop them. Nobody had ever questioned who was behind Cat Noir's mask when he'd helped them, nor where Adrien was. At some points, Marinette had honestly expected to see him surge out of the darkness, joining his parents in their last stand.

He hadn't and that left only more questions. He knew what his parents were… Memories of his interview less than a month ago popped back up in her mind. She became quiet, turning to look at the freezing waters of the river. Anything to avoid thinking about her friend, not with such thoughts and questions still spinning around in her head.

"Ask…" He spoke softly, somehow sensing just what was troubling her. "I'll answer."

"That night, on Nadia's show…" She recalled unpleasantly, never having wanted to bring it up before. "You stopped yourself."

"I mustn't lie." He reminded her, his voice softer than it had been. "A guardian must always be honest."

"So…" Her voice trailed off. "They did hurt you?"

"Once… That morning, when they ordered me to use the turtle miraculous. I refused." His gaze was lost somewhere ahead of him. "I don't know what she was trying to do for sure but I honestly don't think that she wanted to hurt me, just scare me into doing what she wanted but, she got it wrong..."

He stopped, taking her by surprise. She frowned, wondering just what he was playing at. He didn't explain himself, instead, he reached slowly for the zipper of his jacket. He lowered it down to about his chest. The young woman caught on suddenly, he intended to show her something. Her eyes widened, suddenly realizing just what it must have been. She didn't want to see. She opened her mouth, a thousand protests ready to erupt as he pulled it down to the right to expose the skin of his right shoulder. There wasn't the gruesome and massive gash that she had been expecting to find. In fact, standing at a distance, she couldn't make anything out. Taking a deep breath, to give herself some courage, she stepped forwards closing the distance that was between them. In the dull light from the street lamps, she could make out a small cut. It was an inch long but thin, visible only as a pale mark against his tanned skin.

Instinctively, she reached out fingers brushing against the mark. It had healed up completely, leaving nothing more than a slight bump in its place. She pulled away, looking up at the young man's face as she did so. He pulled up his zipper, masking the wound once more. He let out a sigh, beginning to walk as if it was nothing.

"One of her feathers, you know those things: soft as silk one second, like razors the next. She through it at me." He scoffed, somehow amused by the whole thing. "It's the only time I really saw my father get mad at her. I never heard him scream so loud… Of course, he forgot all about it five minutes later and was back to trying to take over the world or whatever they were planning."

"That must have hurt." A stupid comment but the only thing that she could think to say.

"It was Nathalie who bandaged me up." He commented rubbing the spot for an instant.

"I'm sorry Adrien..."

He nodded slowly but said nothing.

They continued on their way. In the distance, the lights from the fair lit up the jardin des Tuilleries. There were more people about as they got closer. She followed Adrien's lead, when he made no attempt to avoid them by crossing over to the other side of the river, she assumed that the proximity to the crowds mustn't have been that much of a bother for him. Perhaps, he assumed that none of them would be on the lookout for any celebrities and would simply be too busy enjoying themselves to take any notice of him. At least for the moment, the gamble did appear to be paying off. Although they passed by several couples or groups of friends, none of them gave her companion so much as a second glance.

The hustle and bustle of the fair was enough to prompt Plagg to stick his head out from his partner's pocket. The kwami glanced around before his eyes fell upon one of the food stands. He practically shot out of the young man's pockets were it not for Adrien's quick reflexes who managed to grab the creature and force him back into his hiding spot. Marinette managed to hold back a giggle, aware that the last thing they wanted to do was draw any attention to themselves. The look of exasperation on her companion's face spoke volumes:

"Aw… Come on!" Plagg begged a moment later, still refusing to take his eyes off of the sweets.

"They won't have any Camembert!" His owner replied sternly.

"Who's interested in Camembert? It was the candy apples I was eyeing up."

"Candy apples?" Adrien sounded confused, uncertain.

"Yeah. You know apples coated in-" She paused, frowning slightly as she fixed him before abruptly realizing just what had got her friend stumped. "Oh… You don't, do you?"

"Candy wasn't really something I had a lot of as a kid." He was smiling for some reason as he spoke. "Can't have a model with fillings in their teeth."

"Well, why don't you try one?" She suggested gently.

"I shouldn't… I've already had my dinner and-"

"Oh come on!" From his pocket popped the head of Plagg. "Live a little! Even Master Fu wasn't this uptight!"

"You're just saying that because you want some too." He reprimanded before smiling softly. "Okay..."

Adrien refused point-blank to get Plagg his own candy apple. If nothing else, he would look absurd walking along with two, one of which he was seemingly feeding to his pocket. He would share, he promised. Marinette got one herself. She noted the way that her friend eyed his cautiously, contemplating the red surface as if he'd never seen anything quite like it before. She warned him to watch his teeth, the sweet outer coating being especially thick and hard. He did so, taking his first bite slowly. He enjoyed it however, that much was obvious. Smiling once he'd finished the mouthful. The young man broke some pieces off, offering them to his kwami as they continued on their way.

They were back to chatting about life, about their plans or Adrien's lack of them. He couldn't continue staggering through his life the way that he was. He knew that but currently had no plan of what to do in the future. He'd find his way he claimed. She didn't challenge that assertion. They crossed over the river, drawn towards the light of the Eiffel Tower, pausing only when they were directly in front of it.

To her surprise, she found her companion to be somewhat mesmerized. The way that he stared up at the structure, in complete awe with his mouth slightly open, it was almost as if he had never laid eyes on it before. At night time, lit up the way it was, it seemed to be a towering pillar of light. She didn't say anything, choosing to wait until he spoke for himself. It was cute in a way, how he stared up at it like a boy starstruck. Surely, he must have set sight on the city's most famous monument since returning. Standing there though, she had her doubts.

"I forgot how beautiful it was." Adrien let out in a sigh after a while.

"Sure is. I never get tired of coming here." She confessed straining her neck to try and see the top of the structure. "We should go to the top some time."

"Why not now?" The young man turned to her.

"Because it's closed." She reminded him, pointing at the booths.  
"Well, for you and me maybe but not for Cat Noir."

She turned to him, uncertain. Whilst his words made sense, in that she could understand them, she found it hard to believe that he was uttering them. The grin on his face was one which she recognized however, albeit she was more accustomed to it being worn by someone other than him. She allowed him to lead her away, into some bushes in the Champs de Mars. There, he looked around carefully, ensuring that they were well and truly alone and that no prying eyes would be able to catch a glimpse of what he was about to do. A smile crept onto her her face, one brought by the adrenaline of this sneaking around. The young man fixed his ring, the words hanging on the tip of his tongue:

"Should you really be doing this?" She couldn't help but ask.

"I'm a terrible guardian." He gave her a grin which would have made the Cheshire cat blush. "Plagg, claws out!"

There was a flash of green light and a few seconds later, she found herself face to face with a man that she hadn't seen in over a decade. Somehow, despite everything that she had learned, it proved difficult to get through her head that Adrien and Cat Noir were the same person. Her eyes studied him head to foot. He hadn't changed, taller (obviously) and she could make out his muscular form more easily. He still had that bell. For some reason, that small detail surprised her. Drawing out his staff, he stood there before her.

The young man said nothing, reaching out to offer her his hand. She hesitated slightly, unsure just what he planned to do next. During their time together as Cat Noir and Ladybug, they'd come up with various ways to reach the top of Paris' most famous landmark. Just what method, her companion was going to use tonight she didn't know. Presumably, something discrete. If one of the former superheroes reappeared so soon after Adrien's return to the city, questions were bound to be asked. Stepping forwards slowly, she took her hand, allowing him to hold her close, slipping an arm around her waist, whilst the other rested atop his staff.

"Hold on tight." He advised, his voice soft.

She obliged, sensing what he was about to do. A few seconds later, they were heading up, rising slowly towards the sky. Instinctively, she grabbed a hold of her companion, feeling her legs dangling over nothing. Nervous, the young woman glanced to her left. She found a pair of green cat-like eyes resting upon her. He gave her a soft smile, one which managed to banish all of her doubts and fears. She focused on him rather than how quickly they were travelling upwards, towards the sky and clouds. Coming to a stop, the young man shifted his weight, causing his staff to begin to fall. Instinct caused her to close her eyes, it almost felt like she was on a roller-coaster of some kind.

Then, they just stopped. Cat Noir took a step and suddenly there was something under her feet. She felt Adrien move slowly, carrying her until they were both stable. He stayed close however, his left arm wrapped around her shoulders for support.

"You can open your eyes now."

The first thing she saw were the stars and a bright almost full-moon. They alone were captivating enough for her attention to drift over them. Then, gradually, she lowered her gaze to fix the city in all of its splendour. It seemed like there was a thousand lights out there, more maybe. The few people that she could make out were no more than tiny dots. Even the cars and buses were little more than vague shapes moving around. She found Notre Dame, then the Louvre and Sacré-Coeur sitting atop its hill. Her home was lit up like a candle in the darkness for as far as they eye could see. They caused the snow which covered the ground and the building to stand out, bathing the city in a beautiful orange glow. The spectacle took her breath away, as did the chill of the night.

Her eyes stung from the cold winds which blew all about them. Instinct caused her to take some shelter from the elements, snuggling up to the nearest form of warmth available. Cat Noir tensed up briefly, before relaxing. He pulled her in more closely, allowing the young woman to rest her head against his chest. She might have taken more notice of his strong steady heartbeat were it not for another, somewhat more unconventional sound she found him to be making.

"Purring? Seriously?"

"I can't help it!" He defended himself, somewhat embarrassed. "Believe me, I can't!"

"I'll take your word for it… Speaking of I thought that you shouldn't be-" Flirting? It was a little bit more than that. "Aren't you sworn off of girls?"

"As an apprentice I was but as the last guardian, I sort of graduated. Master Fu didn't exactly complete his training either"

"You're making this up." She laughed as a reply.

"I'm still not allowed to lie." His voice informed her that he remained serious.

"Well, you could be lying about not being allowed to lie." Marinette responded somewhat teasingly.

"Then, I guess you'll never know."

She smiled, taking note of his grin before turning back towards the city. Up here, it felt so far removed from all of their woes and problems. Even the height as they were perched atop the antennae didn't seem to do so much as register. As much as the air might nip at her exposed skin and chill her, she found it easier to breathe. Like her, Adrien seemed to be engrossed in the spectacle, content to have her near him and to be able to relax and forget about whatever might have been troubling them whilst their feet were on the ground. The rest of the world was nothing more than white noise to them as they sat high above it all.

"I never want to come down from here..." Marinette confessed to the cat miraculous holder.

"Why don't we?.." His voice trailed off, as he rested his chin on her shoulder, whispering into her ear. "You and me, up here forever."

"Careful Chat, I might just take you up on that one..."

She let out a sigh, content to for those few moments, simply be.

 _/_

 _Thanks for the review._


	10. Crimson snow

Laughter echoed through the parisien street. Four youths, two young men and two young women, made their way through the snow, they walked side by side. Their trajectory wasn't entirely straight, swaying from side to side it was clear that some alcohol had been involved. For all that, they weren't overly loud or bothersome. Simply merry, no doubt trying to make their way home after a Christmas party. Most people, not that there were all that many still about given the early hour, smiled bemused and got out of the way. Those who didn't were somewhat clumsily avoided. For the most part, they too had had a few drinks to many too be bothered by such an inoffensive band.

Adrien tried his best to coax his friends away from the curb when they strayed too close. Whilst there might not be many cars out due to the conditions, they were still a few and it would be a shame for such an enjoyable evening to finish with one of them under the wheels of a taxi running a late night shift. He'd already discovered much to Nino's embarrassment and the two girls' amusements that enough bottles of beer seemed to remove the awareness that ice was indeed slippery and something best avoided when at all possible (at least without skates). It wasn't far now and he'd be able to bid goodnight to two of his friends. No doubt they would regret what they had consumed come morning, for the rest of this evening however it was all fun and games. Alya, with her arm locked in that of her boyfriend, seemed roughly able to guide him along in something resembling a straight line. It was the traffic lights which she seemed to struggle a bit more with, reading red as green and green as red.

Still, as they finally reached the old building where the two of them shared a flat, Adrien found himself breathing a sigh of relief. For a moment, he contemplated following them up the stairs to ensure that they at least made it to their flat but decided against it. Thankfully, neither of them were quite that drunk. Instead, he waved a silent "goodnight" to them as they shut the door behind themselves.

"You look cute in that hat..."

He turned his attention to his right, to his final charge.

Marinette Dupain-Cheng was comparatively well-behaved. He offered her a soft smile which she was quick to return. Her comments were a part of some quest for recognition of her work. She'd been complementing him about all sorts of things since some time around midnight: his eyes and hair had been the most frequently mentioned, then his height, his hat and finally, to his astonishment, his earlobes. It hadn't taken him all that long to figure out that a few too many glasses of something were no doubt to blame. He hadn't kept track of what exactly she'd had but knew that it had been far more potent than his tea at any rate. Still, as far as drunks went, she wasn't too bad. The former Ladybug could have done worse than complimenting him throughout the night.

He responded in what her perceived as the best and most suited manner; politely and with a gentle smile:

"Nathalie liked the scarf and Plagg here, certainly appreciates the gloves."

He'd sent them the photo Christmas day of Nathalie, Plagg and himself wearing the clothes which Marinette had been so kind as to knit for them. His kwami naturally hadn't appeared on the picture, with only a set of miniscule gloves being noticeable, hovering somewhere near his partner's head. It was clear that she'd put her heart and soul into making them.

He held out his arm, allowing her to loop hers through it. She rested her head against his shoulder, snuggling up to him. He didn't complain but ensured that they continued on their way. Making their way slowly along through the streets, he was in no particular hurry other from the fact that he was aware that it was cold out and could tell that his companion thought the same. They continued to chat. It wasn't about anything in particular, little things. Chloe's annual Christmas party had been a success as far as anyone could tell and they had all had a blast. Perhaps, the young man found himself thinking, a little bit too much. His friends would regret it come morning. Although maybe they would view it as worthwhile.

They reached her front door. For a moment, whilst he watched Marinette fumble around with the keys, he wondered if he might have to help her in. Thankfully, with a shake of her head, she seemed to regain some sense of herself. Peering over her shoulder, cheeks somewhat flushed, the young woman took a few steps towards him.

"I had a nice night." She informed him standing so close had she taken another step, she would have trod on his toes.

"So did I..." He agreed wondering just what she was playing at. "New Year is at my place though, remember."

"Can't wait!" She spoke a little too loudly for his liking. "I love spending time with you _chaton_..."

"That's a relief."

Perhaps it was the alcohol which was making her a little bit more sluggish than usual or maybe some part of him had been expecting it but as soon as Marinette drew closer to him, Adrien was ready. He raised his hand just in time so that her lips met his palm rather than their original target. Standing on her tiptoes, the young woman's eyes widened out of surprise. Somehow, she remained frozen like that however until he pushed her back. He did so gently, ensuring that he didn't hurt her. She rocked back and forth on her heels a few times, thankfully not to a degree where he worried that she might fall over. Letting out a soft laugh, he decided to explain himself:

"You'll thank me when you're sober." He left a brief pause before adding. "This doesn't quite feel right."

"I've had too much to drink..." At least she was sober enough to realize that much.

"Some sleep will do you some good. Go, get in from the cold."

Placing an arm around her shoulders, he guided her back towards the front door. The young woman didn't complain. Opening it for her, he gently encouraged her inside. No doubt as soon as she'd felt the warmth, it would help convince her that this was where she wanted to be as opposed to outside and exposed to the elements. He ensured that they were as quiet as possible, not wanting to risk awakening her parents. That left them standing there in the entrance to the bakery. Much to his relief, she seemed to have calmed down. Still, there was a slightly awkward atmosphere which hung in the air as he pulled away. He could only hope that she wouldn't remember much about this when she awoke.

"Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Adrien."

He was more willing to give her the customary bise before bidding her farewell. He trusted the young woman to be able to make her own way to her bed. Slipping back out into the cold. He watched as she waved goodbye to him before shutting the door. The young man smiled softly, blowing a kiss before turning back towards the night. The stars were out, at least he thought they were. The way that they lit up the city made it hard to tell. He found himself missing the skies he'd been able to observe from the tops of the mountains. There had been no streetlamps to distract from the thousands of stars. Letting out a sigh, he set out. His bed was calling him. He glanced at his watch, painfully aware that he was going to have to be up in four hours. Sticking his hands in his pockets, he resolved to walk the rest of the way as briskly as possible. The sooner he was home, the better.

Paris' streets held little secrets from him. They hadn't changed much in a decade and he had gotten to know them off by heart during his time as Cat Noir. He wondered if there was a single avenue that he hadn't leapt over or battle an akuma in at some point. The shadows seemed to be dancing tonight however. The young man kept his gaze focused solely in front of him. The quiet streets made it easy for concern and paranoia to creep in. Only the occasional passing taxi provided some strange confirmation that there were other regular people out at this time.

He felt some movement from the inside of his pocket. It was Plagg. The kwami's attention remained focused not on his partner but rather somewhere behind him.

"Adrien..."

"I know." The young man kept his eyes focused solely in front of him, speaking in a hushed tone. "We've got company."

The kwami nodded once before darting back into the shelter of his pocket. Adrien played dumb, continuing on his way as if nothing was up. His eyes darted around, looking for somewhere, anywhere for him to dash away to. Paris being Paris, there weren't many of those around. What he needed was an alleyway or somewhere to disappear. That meant private. He supposed that the early hour would mean that he was unlikely to encounter anyone down one of the small streets but all the same, he was unwilling to risk someone getting a glimpse of him.

Staying calm was key. In his head, he tried to treat it as just another akuma. He'd been fourteen, younger and far more inexperienced when he'd taken on his father's monsters. This was no different. His heart might be racing from the sudden adrenaline rush but he couldn't afford to get reckless, not in such a populated city. Not when he was still so relatively close to the Dupain-Cheng bakery. He clenched his fist, feeling his ring pressing against the palm of his hand. He bit his lower lip to avoid uttering the words too soon. This was still far too open and exposed for him to risk a transformation… As much as his fight or flight or instinct might want it, it would be far safer for him to remain as Adrien Agreste as opposed to Cat Noir, at least for the moment.

Taking a sharp right, the young man finally found what he had been looking for. It might not have been ideal but the dark shadows of the alleyway offered him some shelter and a chance to disappear. He disappeared into them, allowing the darkness to envelop him, just as Master Fu had taught him to.

A figure appeared a few seconds later, standing just at the entrance to the alleyway. They moved silently, barely even making any noise as they trod on the snow. The person glanced around a couple of times, checking if the cost was clear before cautiously following the trail of footprints. Their outfit was unusual, dark and covering their face so that only a small patch of skin around their eyes was visible. It was clear that they intended to be stealthy. The odd way in which they moved; creeping as opposed to walking spoke of some serious training having been done beforehand. It was clear that these were no amateurs. The individual followed the marks in the snow up until a brick wall where they abruptly vanished. There was no evidence of Adrien having gone back on his tracks. They looked around, evidently confused and searching for some trace of him.

"I don't know who you are or what you're hoping to achieve but this is not a good way to go about it."

Stepping out of the shadows where he had concealed himself, the young man made his presence known. The stranger spun around on their heels, evidently startled to see him there. He could see the surprise in their wide eyes. He tried to appear confident, arms folded across his chest. They didn't immediately attack. If anything, upon seeing him there, they seemed to relax, straightening themselves. He frowned, his eyes searching for any trace of a miraculous. He didn't get the feeling that there was anything magical originating from the stranger. Still, he chose to remain cautious. Whilst at the moment, the worst he could accuse this person of was following him, there was still something about the person which set him on edge.

When they refused to speak or otherwise respond to his statement, he decided to continue. He spoke more softly, trying to get the point across:

"If you need help. You could just ask..."

The stranger lunged forwards. They were fast. Had he dropped his guard for even half a second, he had no doubt that the stranger would have been able to grab him. At least that's what he guessed they were trying to do. In practice, he was only just fast enough to side-step them, ducking out of the way. They were quick to recover, coming after him once more. The narrow alleyway now didn't seem like quite such a good idea. He found himself with his back to the wall and the masked attacker still coming. Gritting his teeth, the young man tried to remember his training. Stay calm, concentrate… All of those years spent punching boards and dummies, it was time to put some of that to use.

He intended to simply grab the person's arm, twist it round and get them under some form of control. They swatted his somewhat naive attempt at doing so away rather easily however. They were professionally trained. That much became clear as soon as they had traded a few blows. More than that… Their movements both the attacks and blocks were natural, like a well-oiled machine. This was something they had practised many a time, for hours no doubt, much like he had. Repeating the same old gesture over again and again. He fancied that he probably had the advantage of brute strength over this man/woman (he was still undecided which one it was) but maybe not that of skill. Perhaps, unlike him, they had had the opportunity to practice against more than inanimate objects.

Their attacks were strange however. As opposed to trying to punch him, they seemed to be rather more inclined to swipe at him. It could have had something to do with the unusual design of their gloves. When one passed a little too close to his face for his liking, he thought that he might have seen what he could best describe as claws, about half an inch long sticking out from the ends of the fingers like small daggers. They seemed sharp. It was enough to encourage him not to allow them to make contact with his skin.

This couldn't last much longer. He wouldn't allow it to do so for one. Taking advantage of his opponent's next lunge, Adrien managed to grab their arm. Putting all of his weight into spinning around, he slammed the stranger's back into the wall. He put enough force into it to ensure that they were hurt. At this stage, he no longer cared too much about their well-being so long as he succeeded in bringing the fight to a halt. Moving quickly, he forced his arm to their throat. The young man ensured that they could still breathe but applied enough pressure to discourage his attacker from fighting back. They persisted to struggle however, prompting him to use just a little bit more force. Anger coursed through his veins, demanding that he do something a little bit more severe to this person. It was an instinct which he forced himself to ignore. Instead, he channelled his rage through the cold glare that he gave them:

"Who are you?!" It was a demand, one which left no doubt as to the fact that his patience had officially run out.

A sharp pain struck his right shoulder and a part of his back. He let out an involuntary cry. With his free arm, he found himself instinctively reaching for the spot of his skin which now felt as if it were on fire. In doing so, he staggered backwards a couple of steps. There was someone behind him. Risking a quick glance over his shoulder, he found himself faced with a far larger attacker. If he probably still had the height advantage the newcomer possessed a rather dauntingly broad set of shoulders and muscles to go with it.

Acting on instinct, the young man kicked out behind him. He made contact with the second of the strangers whom he decided to nickname "Mountain" for the purpose of making things a little easier during the fight. The man staggered back but not as much as he had hoped. In fact, the blow scarcely seemed to have registered. A few seconds later, it was his right arm which informed him that something was wrong by hurting so badly, he wondered if it might have been cut off. His head snapped back around.

His stomach turned as he found that the first of his enemies had dug the claws of his glove into his unprotected arm. Instinctively, he leapt backwards, pulling away. They had succeeded in breaking the skin; he could feel blood trickling down his back and see the result from the puncture wounds on his right arm. It was impossible to conceal his pain. At most, he tried not to scream, instead hissing as he moved backwards, eager to put some distance between himself and his attackers. His eyes darted between the two of them, flickering from one to the other as he watched them approach cautiously. Whilst he might have fancied his chances against one, with two of them together, he was beginning to feel some panic creeping in. He winced before straightening himself, fists clenched, he adopted the best fighting stance that he could.

It took him a few seconds to realize that something was wrong. He was light-headed. The alleyway and the two strangers before him seemed to wobble. Closing his eyes, the young man shook his head, trying to pull himself together.

"He's faltering..." Finally, Mountain spoke… But something was off.

"Come on, let's end this." His more softly spoken companion replied. "Kahn's been waiting long enough."

"Chinese! You're speaking Chinese!" Adrien couldn't help but declare in their language.

"Adrien, run!" Plagg called out, still sheltering inside of his pocket.

Their heads snapped up upon hearing him. They wasted no time in charging forwards. His right arm, whether it had been damaged or he was beginning to feel the effects of bloodloss he couldn't have said but it was trembling. With every passing second, he was loosing feeling in it.

Whatever happened next, it was almost a dream. The world was spinning now. He recognized the sensation of being hit in the stomach; the air being knocked out from his lungs. Gritting his teeth, Adrien soldiered on. He lashed out randomly. Trying no longer to immobilize his enemies but simply to survive. He was pushed back. Something cut at his chest, then at his ribs. His left fist, the one he was now relying on made contact with a jaw, then a shoulder. This wasn't going to work. He realized as his head impacted the wall. He couldn't win. Not like this, not against two opponents as skilled and as strong as they were. The young man tried to breathe, to think as clearly as possible and remember the training he had been given, supposedly to guard against such a situation.

What he needed was a breakout point.

A well-placed kick to the groin saw the smaller of the two fall. It was all that the young man needed. He jumped up, kicking against the wall before rolling as he slipped past his remaining foe. The darkness of the alley made the street ahead seem like the light at the end of a tunnel. He ran as quickly his legs would allow. Ignoring the pain of his wounds and the dizziness which was continuing to take hold. He forced himself to continue on. It was a gamble but he assumed that such oddly dressed attackers wouldn't dare give chase into the main streets of Paris. There were too many people and-

A figure appeared, blocking the end of the alleyway. Adrien narrowed his eyes, trying to make them out a bit more clearly. They were looking right at him, arm raised towards him. In a second, terror took hold. His mind couldn't quite work fast enough to find a solution to the gun which was pointed at him. There wasn't the "bang" he had been expecting. In actual fact, it was more of a "pop". Two to be precise. It felt like a bee stung him once in the shoulder, a second time in his left calf. It was enough to stop him in his tracks, causing him to stumble backwards into the shadows colliding with some garbage cans as he went.

A third enemy?

He was on the floor now. His left leg refused to obey his commands, almost limp. His mind was well and truly spinning. Somewhere along the line, the young man was aware that his head was rolling as he found himself unable to keep it stationary. Everything seemed dull and that which wasn't was spinning. That was to say nothing of the numbness which was gradually spreading through his body. It felt like each and every heartbeat was forcing the sensation through his veins, killing off the feeling in his body. He gasped for breath, eyes drifting across his enemies as they approached slowly. His rib cage ached, informing him that he had made a terrible mistake at some point and his reward was going to be some terrible bruises come morning.

At some point, he became aware that he was being dragged. The mountain and the first attacker each had one of his arms and carried him unceremoniously back towards the light. Still dazed, he managed to glance over his shoulder. There was a van there, parked up on the sidewalk and waiting for them. His brain was still clear enough to process the fact that he didn't want to get thrown in there. With a groan, his eyes drifted over his attackers. He was spent. He knew that much. Desperation however was enough to give him a second wind. Summoning his strength, he tugged as hard as possible. Apparently, they hadn't quite been expecting such a move as he found himself slipping free of their iron grip.

He found himself on his back, starring up at the sky above him. His body refused to move any more than it already had as the torpor once more took hold. Even as the third attacker, whom he was more confident was a woman stood over him, all he could do was stare. He found himself fixing a cannister of some kind. Before he could react, he was aware of some liquid being sprayed onto his face. It was as if his eyes were on fire. Unable to stop himself, he let out a piercing shriek of pain. He briefly got to his feet, trying to get as far away as possible. His legs buckled a second later, falling down. Instinct told him to rub his eyes, to try and expel whatever had entered them. He scratched and clawed a his face, desperate to ease the pain. It was probably tears streaming down his cheeks but the burning agony made him wonder if it might have been blood. He trashed around only for a few seconds before the feeling of limpness began once more to take over. Leaving him lying there, powerless. He was vaguely aware that his assailants were approaching once more but unable to do anything about it.

"Kid! Kid!" Plagg was frantic, hovering mere inches in front of him. "Come on! You've got to transform!"

"I can't see..." His voice was little more than a combination of sobs.

"Trust me, you don't want to! Now transform!"

The secrecy of the Guardians was forgotten in favour of a need to survive.

He kept his eyes screwed shut even as he transformed. Fear was now the only thing which kept him going. It was an instinct, a desperate cry originating from inside of him and demanding that he flee. There was no thought required. Cat Noir gave him a momentary boost of strength but more importantly the agility that was required. Adrien was vaguely aware of some shouting as his attackers rushed him, perhaps aware that he was about to slip away. He tried his best to ignore them, grabbing a hold of his staff as tightly as his hands would allow. Even now, he found them to be heavy and unresponsive, as if they were gradually becoming disconnected from the rest of his body. He coughed, his ribs ached something terrible. Somehow, he maintained enough presence of mind to trigger the extension of his weapon. It acted as an elevator, lifting him far above the alleyway and up to the roofs.

He fell. His back collided roughly with one of the Parisien rooftops, knocking the wind out from him once more. With every second, he found feel himself becoming weaker. If the world was no longer spinning, it was only because his eyes weren't open to take note of the fact. The burning sensation was still just as present as it had been originally, seemingly eating away at his flesh. Taking a few deep breaths, he forced himself back to his trembling feet and run.

Run. Run no matter what the cost. Every heartbeat repeated the same message, reminding him that he was in danger. It caused him to ignore the pain from his wounds. He scrambled across the rooftops, colliding with chimney stacks and walls alike. More than once he fell. No doubt some of the locals would be awoken by the commotion. When he ran out of rooftop, he staggered through the streets, trying his best to head in one constant direction. From time to time, the young man forced his eyes open, just to remind himself where he was. The world was blurry and impossibly dark. Vague outlines was all that he had to base himself off of. He wanted to go home. Focusing on the mansion gave him a goal, something to strive to reach. He clawed and clambered, heading in roughly the right direction. He hadn't been too far when he'd been attacked. With each and every step, the young man told himself that there was just one more to come and he would be safe.

Eventually he collided with a gate. It's cold iron bars were strangely familiar. Even with his eyes open for a few seconds, resulting in a pain he could only equate to being stabbed by a thousand needles, he could just make out a vague outline of a building. With what little strength he had left, he managed to heave himself over the top, falling down uselessly on the other side. On another night, he might simply have allowed himself to pass out there, giving in finally to the pain. The force driving him however demanded that he get inside. His left leg had decided to call it a day. He dragged himself along the path, his body becoming increasingly unresponsive even as he made it up the stairs to the door. It took even more effort to stand. He clawed at the wood, eventually pulling himself back up using the handle. Keys… Where were his keys?

"Plagg, claws in!"

Turning back hit him like a ton of bricks. He felt what little strength he had left abandon him. His right leg, the only one currently holding him shook like a leaf, threatening to buckle at any moment. He leaned against the door for support, panicked fingers fumbling through his pocket in search of his keys. When finally they did make contact, he found it almost impossible to insert them into the lock. It was Plagg who finally managed to guide his hand to where it needed to be, allowing him to finally open the door.

He pretty much fell into the hallway. Even in his current state, he was able to realize that he was about to lose consciousness. The dizziness was only getting worse. With each step that he took, he could sense that he was increasingly unlikely to be able to take another before his leg gave out, already he was dragging his left one behind him as if it was dead weight. He staggered along, hands out in front of him frantically searching for something, anything to grab a hold of that he could use to guide himself along or at least to prevent himself from falling. Fear made a home in his stomach. It drowned out all the rest and caused him to do the most instinctive thing that he could. Terrified, he called out for the only person who he felt might be able to answer:

"Nathalie!" He called out desperately with the last of his strength. "Nathalie, please!"

"Adrien?" The reply echoed from somewhere else in the mansion, in a flash, the assistant appeared in the main hall.

"Nathalie! Help me! Please!"

What little reserve he had left abandoned him. Everything was fading away as he fell forwards. Somehow however, instead of encountering the hard marble floor. Battered and broken, he fell into the arms of the woman. Unable to bear his weight, she managed to ease him down to his knees, holding him against her in order to do so. His body had become completely limp, much of the pain was already beginning to fade away as he felt his consciousness begin to slip away. Would he wake up? The terrifying doubt passed through his mind as he felt himself slip away ever further. One last frantic plea was all that his aching throat was able to utter.

"Help me..."

"Oh God..."

Everything faded away as the darkness finally enveloped him.

 _/_

 _Thanks again for the review!_


	11. Putting the pieces back together

He was still breathing. A strange thing to realize and yet it was the first thing which really registered. His body was heavy, unresponsive and yet he was awake. Even thinking was a task he wasn't quite up for. His brain refused to cooperate and he wasn't all that inclined to force it to do anything. For a while… That was enough. Adrien simply lay there, breathing, living.

Gradually though, he began to regain some sense of feeling in his body. Whether the process took minutes or hours, the young man couldn't have said. Time had lost its meaning. As the feeling slowly returned to his limbs, he came somewhat more aware of his surroundings. He was lying down. Was he back in his bed? Just where he was became somewhat less important as pain began to radiate from pretty much all over. What started as some slight discomfort gradually mounted, it became more specific. Whilst some of it was muscular and belonged to what he guessed were bruises, others were much sharper and produced what he could best describe as a burning sensation. He let out a groan, shifting slightly as he attempted to remove some of the pressure from his right shoulder.

Next to him, something moved. He wasn't alone.

Just what had happened? Straining, the young man tried his best to cast his mind back and recall just how he had ended up here. Things were a hazy mess. He could remember the party from the night before: the laughter and Nino's rendition of Santa Baby particularly clearly. Something had happened afterwards… He'd walked the others home. Had he kissed Marinette? No… They hadn't gotten that intimate. The rest came back to him in a series of violent flashes. He'd been attacked. Whilst the intruders' faces had been masked, there was no mistaking their malicious intent. Each of the wounds they had dealt him came back almost as if he was experiencing them anew. He could practically feel his flesh being torn and burnt. Why was everything so dark? It felt as if he'd been blindfolded.

Someone touched his shoulder. For a moment, he found himself back down the alley, face to face with one of his intruders. With only his self-preservation instinct to drive him, he lashed out. Whilst his left arm obeyed his command, it was still able to make contact with something. It was fabric, he guessed that it must have been their collar simply from the feel of things. He dragged them down, apparently pulling them clean off of their feet as he heard them fall. Still, he refused to release his hold. Strangely, he encountered no resistance or even much of a complaint.

"Easy. It's me."

He recognized the voice in an instant and released his hold. The few moments of exertion cost him dearly. Within a few seconds he found his limbs to be heavy once more. Out of breath, he tried his best to relax, now that he knew at the very least he wasn't alone. He lay there, trying to recover some feeling of himself. Approximately half of his body was numb, worse, he couldn't even feel it. That which he was still aware of and had control over was making him sorry that he'd woken up. Between aching muscles and torn skin, his encounter in the alleyway had left him unwilling to move for fear of some part of him falling off.

The darkness made him nervous. It invited endless amounts of doubt into his mind. Being deprived of his primary sense left him with only his hearing to fall back upon. They offered him little clue as to just where he was. All he knew for sure was who he was with. Was he blind? He raised his hand to the damp cloth which lay across much of his face, eager to try and remove it and give his eyes a chance to see for themselves. A single touch was enough to dissuade him of that notion. Even brushing his fingers against it was enough to send a scolding sensation running throughout all of the skin in the area. Hissing with pain, his ears picked up on the sound of feet on the floor. A mixture of fear and pain made him somewhat childish, desperate to find some reassurance in the form of an explanation from the only other person in the room:

"Nathalie, everything's dark… Where am I?"

"The lounge." Was the simple response. "How much do you remember?"

"Right up until I passed out."

He was expecting some sort of an explanation, at the very least to be informed of just what had happened after he'd lost consciousness. Instead, he was met with only silence. The fact that he was in the lounge lead him to believe that he must have been lying on the couch. Although his back informed him otherwise, this felt rather a lot more like a mattress of some kind than it did the cushions of a sofa. The woman seemed to be preoccupied, he could hear her walking around some more. She was nearby. He could tell that much. A few seconds later, he felt some of the weight next to him which he could only assume was his right arm be lifted.

"Don't move around so much." Her words were stern, like a teacher scolding a misbehaving pupil. "You're making things worse..."

"What did you do to my arm?!" He questioned eager to know just why it felt he was missing a limb.

"I didn't _do_ anything to it!" The woman snapped defensively.

"I can't feel it." He explained before clarifying. "It's completely numb."

"Let me see..." If she was touching him, he was blissfully unaware. "Can you feel this?"

"No."

"That?"

"No."

He heard her let out an exasperated or perhaps more accurately exhausted sigh. She was tending to his arm, he could tell that much simply due to the fact that the weight to the right of his body had shifted slightly. With the assistant in a relatively bad mood, he thought it best to remain as quiet as humanly possible. He didn't know what time it was or how long he'd been out but he'd woken her up in the middle of the night. He could have been out for hours, maybe even days. At the very least, he assumed that she hadn't been able to move him out into the lounge in anything less than half an hour.

"Out of interest, can you feel this?" She questioned a few seconds later.

"No." This time he shook his head to emphasize the fact. "What are you doing anyhow?"

"She's stabbing you with a needle." Came the familiar voice of his kwami from... _somewhere…_ " _Pricking_ – not stabbing. Nice to see that you're awake. You had us worried for a while there."

"I think you were hit with some sort of sedative." She informed him of that much in the same manner as she would have let him know what his schedule for the day was. "It will likely wear off in a few hours. In the meantime, you should consider yourself fortunate. It looks like you were mauled by a tiger."

"Did Plagg tell you what happened?"

"Yes."

He felt somewhat guilty for having dumped himself on the woman the way that he had. He must have scared her half to death. At least his kwami had been there to explain things to her. Not that there was much to explain. Even now, Adrien couldn't have said for sure what had happened. As he replayed the events in his mind, he found himself coming to the conclusion that if they had lasted five minutes in total, it would have been a lot. In the space of a few seconds, he'd gotten into a fight and almost been dragged off to somewhere he'd rather never see. When he'd crawled in, she must have thought he was dying.

She was back to moving around the room again. He could hear her shifting somewhere near him. There was the sound of what he guessed were bottles? Glass? His ears weren't in tune enough to allow him to know what exactly she was doing. Once more, dread began to form in the pit of his stomach. He found himself reaching once more for the bandage. Remembering the pain which had struck him down the first time, he hesitated. Ultimately, he lowered his hand once more, allowing it to fall heavily by his side.

"Nathalie… My eyes..."

That was what really mattered. The skin still stung. The searing pain from the night behind still rung true, almost as if he was reliving it. The woman didn't respond. He could hear her slowly coming back over towards him. She was standing next to him. A sense of gravity and anxiousness fell on the room.

If sections of his body were numb, his face was the exact opposite. He could feel the tips of Nathalie's fingers, reaching out towards the fabric before they'd even touched it. His sensitivity was such that he found himself wincing even as she very delicately using the tips of her fingers took a hold of the ends of the cloth. She removed it slowly. As each quarter-inch was removed, exposing his bare skin to the open air. He gritted his teeth, trying his best not to scream. It was gone a few seconds later. He was only greeted with silence. His eyelids, rough and crusty opened like shutters which had spent a decade rusted shut. His head rolled. Someone could have been rubbing sandpaper against his orbs as he lay there. The fact that neither Nathalie or even Plagg were speaking confirmed some of his worst fears… He still managed to speak, somehow, despite everything, calmly:

"It's not good, is it?

"I'm not a doctor or an optician..." Was all that the woman answered. "Can you see anything?"

"Not really. It's all dark…"

That wasn't entirely true. Whilst the world seemed to be impossibly dark. There was some light, just a fraction. It was faint and watery but none the less present albeit somewhat pale. He guessed that it must have been coming from the windows. He could make out a vague silhouette. It was blurry, dull… She couldn't even be called an outline. He closed his eyes a moment later. The stinging sensation was only getting worse. His eyes were watering, he could feel that much. The tears which made their way down his skin only irritated it further.

She placed her hand under his chin, tilting his head slightly. He guessed that she was forcing him to look her in the eye.

"Still sore?" Nathalie's voice was softer, more compassionate.

"It feels like my face's on fire." He confessed fighting tooth and nail to avoid rubbing his eyes.

"Hang on… I'll have a look."

Even the fresh air felt like daggers stabbing at his skin. His eyes were streaming now. He was scarcely even aware of the assistant coming closer to him. It was with the lightest of touches that the woman felt the sensitive flesh. The contact only lasted a split second but he recoiled violently, unable to hold back a howl of pain. The rest of his body complained vocally but it was nothing compared to his face. He was breathing rapidly in an attempt to alleviate the pain. Eventually, after a few moments, it slowly began to fade, becoming more bearable. Lying on his back, he breathed rapidly trying to calm down.

There was another pause as he waited for things to steadily get back to normal. In the commotion, he'd lost track of both Nathalie and Plagg. Despite the darkness, he still found himself instinctively searching for them. Ultimately, he gave up. They were there, somewhere… A few seconds later, he heard Nathalie moving, taking a few steps away from him before stopping abruptly. Enough messing around and time for business:

"What do you want to do?"

"I don't have many options, do I?" He spoke under his breath.

"No. Not many… I can take you to a hospital, they might be able to do something for your eyes." Nathalie was blunt, giving him the news as it was as opposed to trying to sugar coat things. "Alternatively, you can stay here. It might clear up by itself in time. It just depends what you got in your eyes. The fact is I don't know what the damage is and if it's reversible. You stay here, it could cost you your sight."

"On the other hand, I might already have lost it."

"I'd say that's a good possibility."

It was hard not to shudder at that thought. The notion that this perpetual blackness could be all that he could look forwards to now struck terror into him. Pain and the self-preservation instinct steered him towards going to the hospital. Nathalie was clever. She could think of some manner of excuse: a nutter looking for vengeance for Hawk Moth and Mayura's crimes and lashing out at their only son. At the very least, they would be able to alleviate some of the symptoms of what was currently causing him to suffer.

Then what? More questions would come. It was inevitable. The hospital was such a public place. He would be little more than a sitting duck if his attackers chose to strike once more. He closed his eyes, trying to block everything else out and think. The damage was done. A voice in the back of his mind seemed to say. Going to the hospital might be in his best interests right now but it could equally prove to be a poisoned apple. All it would take was for one person to start asking some questions, to wonder where he could have got such uncommon injuries from and they would all be in serious trouble. He couldn't afford to have his identity discovered, not after everything that had happened a decade ago.

He groaned, allowing his head to roll over to the side of his pillow. There was some light there, it was something of a comfort, enough to break up the monotony of the darkness:

"What can you do?"

"Not much. Wash them out I suppose, try to make sure they don't get infected. If you're determined not to go to a doctor's then they're going to have to heal themselves, if they can." She paused for a few seconds, he could almost picture her face as she hesitated. "Adrien, I'm going to be honest: I'd rather take you to hospital. I don't think you realize how much of a blow losing your sight would be."

"I know but-" He let out a heavy sigh. "They're going to ask questions at the hospital. I can't afford to have them discover who I am. I've made my decision Nathalie."

The woman said nothing. He knew that she disapproved of this course of action but being the person that she was, did nothing to physically stop him. He was willing to pay the price of not getting proper medical attention. Adrien wasn't about to deny the fact that the prospect of loosing his sight terrified him. Even in the short time that he had been awake, he'd found himself longing for even the blurriest of sights. He felt isolated, lost. It didn't help that he still wasn't entirely clear about just where he was in the living room. Had Nathalie and Plagg not been with him, he would likely have been in some state of panic.

Nathalie was back to moving around. She could hear her moving some stuff nearby. She gave no explanation as to just what it was that she was doing. He could only imagine. She declared that she had to go get a few things but promised to be right back. He had neither a reason nor the ability to prevent her from leaving, although the insecurity brought on by his current situation made him desperate for company. Instead, the young man simply nodded giving her permission to go and do whatever she needed. He sat there in uneasy silence. The presence of a what could only be described as a warm ball of fluff resting against the back of his left hand caused him to instinctively look down. His eyes saw nothing but he was still able to recognize his kwami resting against him, providing some much needed comfort.

"Thanks..." Was all that he could manage to mutter as a response.

"We'll patch you up kid. Don't you worry..."

He wanted to believe that the kwami was being sincere as opposed to saying whatever it took to make him feel better.

A few moments later, he heard the door. Nathalie walked more slowly, stopping not too far away. He recognised wood meeting a mixture of glass and much smaller and lighter items. His best guess was that she was putting some items back down on the table. Shifting slightly, he turned his full attention towards where the woman was. Another time, it might almost have been an entertaining game to try and guess just what she was doing or had with her. Unfortunately, it wasn't a game that he was able to stop playing. Utterly, helpless he could only try and think about his wounds and the treatment they would require. She must have spent a few minutes going through the stuff and preparing it. Eventually, she came back over to him.

"You're going to have to stand up." The woman informed him.

"Okay."

He took things slowly. Even sitting up on the couch – or wherever he currently was – proved to be a challenge. His muscles ached, a reminder of the blows that he'd received and the cuts which ran across a section of his ribs. He caught his breath, trying to summon his strength in preparation for getting to his feet. Already, he could tell that his left leg wasn't going to play ball. If some feeling was indeed returning to that limb, he still had little to no control over it. Gritting his teeth, he tried to force himself up, using his right leg only. It threatened to buckle under him, forcing the young man to use his arms in an attempt to prop himself up. Nathalie was quick to slip an arm around him, providing support. He leant against her, somehow… They staggered only a couple of yards before he was gently eased down into an armchair.

Nathalie left him be. Even covering the relatively short distance had left him feeling weak. Trying to ignore the stinging sensation around his eyes, he lay back and rested his head against the back of the chair. He heard the assistant let out a heavy sigh.

"This is going to hurt a lot."

"I thought it might..." He didn't particularly want to think about it.

He nodded. For a few seconds, he contemplated trying to meditate. He remembered Master Fu's words about how it could bring tranquillity to even the most troubled of souls – if done correctly. The notion was discarded however. Instead, he opted for simply gritting his teeth, acknowledging that this was unlikely to be a pleasant experience. Nathalie took a seat next to him. There was a pungent smell which he quickly identified as antiseptic. He could recall the substance stinging his cuts worse than the injury had hurt to begin with. Taking a deep breath, he readied himself to the best of his ability.

"Close your eyes."

He obliged, attempting to relax as much as possible in the process. A couple of seconds later, he felt something being cautiously dabbed against the skin. The pain which erupted almost instantly as soon as she made contact caused him to flinch. He recoiled violently, instinct demanding that he put as much distance between himself and the source of his suffering as possible. Fighting that urge proved to be difficult, causing him to grind his teeth together in an attempt to avoid screaming. It was impossible to stop his muscles from tensing up. The ointment felt as if it was eating away at his wounded flesh, burning it. Nathalie tried her best to ignore or rather work around his discomfort, to make sure that things were over and done with as quickly as possible. Despite his best efforts, he would powerless to hold back some whimpers and groaned as he shifted, desperate for it all to be over.

A hand slipped itself around his, applying some pressure. It wasn't enough to hurt but did let him know that he wasn't alone. He recognized the long slender fingers. She didn't speak but still managed to provide some comfort. Still, he hesitated to accept it. His greatest fear was that in a moment of suffering, he might grip too hard and shatter the bones. As the burning sensation persisted however, he found himself desperate for anything which might give him some comfort. He forgot sometimes that she was left-handed. Well, truth be told, the assistant was ambidextrous but she'd always been more comfortable with her left than her right. It wasn't much but enough to allow him to bear it and soldier on through.

As tender as it left his skin, he wasn't allowed much time to rest. The young man didn't complain, aware that he had forfeit that right by asking to be treated here as opposed to going to hospital. It was a lot to ask of Nathalie. He was aware that this wasn't something that she particularly wanted to do. No doubt, she thought it was the wrong course of action. Complaining about his own decision would have been an insult to the woman. He took deep breaths in an attempt to ease the pain and calm down. It took him a few moments to realize that he was physically shaking, no doubt in some form of shock. Thankfully, the eye drops were considerably less painful. He followed her instructions diligently.

"How did you even get me in here?" The young man asked as she bandaged up his eyes carefully. "Did you carry me?"

"I haven't been able to carry you since you were seven years old." The woman replied, her attention focused on her work. "I had to pretty much drag you in here. I moved a mattress down from upstairs for you to rest on."

That made sense. If nothing else, he was impressed by the amount of first aid knowledge that the woman seemed to possess. Up in the mountains of Tibet, he'd found himself tending to his own wounds and in latter years to an increasingly ailing Master Fu and could tell that Nathalie was familiar with the basic principles. Had she practised them before? He couldn't have said but at the very least, she was familiar with the concepts. She cleaned his wounds, wiping the dried blood and dirt away with a wet cloth and applying antiseptic a few moments later. He grimaced a few times, trying to conceal his discomfort to the best of his abilities. The assistant examined some of his injuries in a little more detail.

"Some of these are going to need stitches..." She informed him quietly, turning around to fiddle with some bottles. "We might have something here- I can try and put you out for a while if you'd prefer."

"No. It's fine. I'm done sleeping for today."

A part of Adrien wished that he could claim to never have felt the singular sting of a needle and pain associated with being sewn back up but his time in Tibet had lead him to have a somewhat clumsy encounter with a chisel which had resulted in him paying a visit to a local doctor. As such, he was more than prepared for it to be a rather unpleasant experience. Whilst Nathalie was considerate enough to apply some local aesthetic in the form of a spray, there was still a slightly unusual sensation which was almost impossible to ignore. Instinct requested that he tried to either swat away whatever was currently messing around with his shoulder. Instead, the young man gritted his teeth, trying to focus on anything else to avoid lingering on what was being done to him.

"You seem to know what you're doing..." A conversation, surely, would take his mind off matters.

"Well one of us has to." Was the woman's stoic response.

"I suppose I was asking how you knew what you were doing." Adrien clarified aware that he really should have been more precise if he wanted a response out of Nathalie. "Is surgery really a job requirement for a secretary?"

"You'd be amazed what skills I brushed up on when your parents decided they were going to get involved with magical terrorism."

"Can you take night classes in first aid?" It was a useful skill, one which now he found himself wondering if he should look into improving.

"You can certainly look it up on the internet." She paused cutting the thread. "Besides, my father was a doctor. I used to spy on his surgery as a little girl."

Curious, Adrien raised an eyebrow. It was an action he promptly regretted as his skin reminder him that expression in such a manner wasn't advisable. Still, he couldn't help but feel some curiosity. It was unusual for the woman to offer up pieces of her past, at least not willingly. The fact that she brought it up so rarely generally discouraged him from asking about it out of fear that he might cause offence or bring back some memories best left forgotten. As a result, he found himself knowing precious little about the woman which wasn't obvious or that he himself had not been able to witness during the time that they had been acquainted. As such, he found himself hesitating torn between wanting to know more and the privacy which was obviously so important to the assistant. Still, given that she'd been the one to bring up the subject, he was willing to take a slight risk and attempt to discover a little bit more:

"You never said your father was a doctor."

"You never asked." A response that he should perhaps have expected from the woman.

"Is that how you knew my parents? Was he their doctor?"

"Not at all." He heard her shake her head. "He practised in the village I lived in."

"You lived in a village?" Now that took him by surprise.

"You're not interested in any of this..." The woman sounded stern or perhaps simply dubious.

"I am."

"Well now you do. I'm a provincial." There was a slight pause before she added almost as an afterthought. "I moved to Paris for my studies. That's where I met your mother."

He didn't push the matter any further, unwilling to risk actually annoying the woman who was currently in the process of stitching up his various wounds. He let out a sigh, trying his best to relax and to make things as easy as possible for the assistant. In total, he estimated that he must have spent a good two hours being tended to. Most of that was spent in silence. Despite his initial claim that he was done with sleeping for the day, he quickly found himself losing strength. Perhaps it was the pain which was very slowly ebbing away. His eyes fluttered from time to time. It occurred to him that he still didn't know what time it was. He doubted that Nathalie had gotten any sleep the night before… She must have been exhausted.

Still, she soldiered on and finished her work. With the stitches done, she cautiously applied bandages to the rest of his wounds, wrapping them tightly.

"You'll need to keep an eye on these. The slightest sign of a swelling, fluid or a fever, we're taking you to hospital." She informed him, wrapping up a patch of his shoulder.

"Okay..."

"Can we get serious now?"

He didn't want to. The implications were terrible enough as they were. No doubt Nathalie would have thought of another thousand problems to face which hadn't even began to pop into his head. There was no avoiding them though. He considered himself fortunate that Plagg had already explained what had happened to the woman, it would save some time now and allow them to concentrate on what was important. He had been attacked. The implications were terrible, especially given that those responsible had seen him transform. Although their lack of surprise seemed to indicate that they'd at the very least expected him to have a miraculous of one kind or another. Most likely, they knew exactly who he was.

Nathalie was practical enough to know that they couldn't afford the luxury of allowing him to recover completely. He heard her take a few steps away. The sound of water splashing confused him momentarily. His best guess was that she must have brought through a basin. Whilst a part of the young man didn't want to face up to what he knew was going to be a difficult and potentially conflictual subject – both his body and mind weren't in the best of shapes right now to tackle such a challenge – he was equally aware that they had little choice.

"The people who attacked me, they're going to come back."

"Frankly, I'm astonished that they haven't already." She seemed to be drying her hands now. "I don't think it's much of a mystery what they were after."

"No. Maybe they don't know they're here." It seemed obscene, everyone in Paris knew where he was living.

"You were hardly going to have the Miraculous Box hidden under your shirt." The assistant replied dryly. "The way they came after you… I don't like it."

"What, you mean the fact that they were trying to kill me?" Despite everything, Nathalie's phraseology somehow stuck him as amusing.  
"Actually, it's precisely the fact that they didn't kill you that concerns me."

He could only agree with the woman's statement. He'd been helpless and yet they hadn't pounced on him to end his life. They hadn't even attempted to steal his miraculous. His fingers had been left alone. That was worrying, almost as much as the calm which reigned over the manor at the moment. They should have followed him. If they couldn't keep up with Cat Noir, then they must have been able to guess where he would go. Unless, perhaps, they presumed that he would go to the hospital instead of limping home. All the same, there was enough about the current situation to leave him asking many questions. Evidently, Nathalie had the same fears about the current situation, which she expressed only a few seconds later:

"They could have killed you easily. It's what I spent two years trying to help your father do. Kill or disable the miraculous holders, take their jewels."

"I guess they're after the whole lot..." Adrien muttered glumly, his fingers coming back to fidget with his ring. "They must think that I stashed it somewhere, along with the book."

"Seems logical. In which case you are in serious danger."

Once more, he found himself forced to agree with what Nathalie had said. They would come back for him. If not now – assuming that for some reason they either didn't know that he was here or thought that the protection might have been such that they couldn't risk another attack – then they would come soon. Whilst initially, his first thought was about just what he would do if they suddenly broke in, another thought popped into his mind. Nobody cared about Adrien Agreste - at least not anybody who would come after him in such a manner – they wanted what he had and it wasn't the riches or the company. It was the unusual collection of jewellery which would have seemed attractive to them.

It was with a sudden realization that he was sitting down here with Nathalie, the miraculous box was sitting around upstairs with nobody to stand guard over them. He did his best to stand up. The woman was quick to place a hand on his chest. Applying only a little pressure, she was able to stop him from getting up:

"So are the miraculous…" He argued aware that the woman almost certainly knew that much. "I've got to protect them!"

"I'm going to chalk that piece of insanity down to the sedatives." The woman's tone informed him that she was far from impressed. "Have you taken a look at yourself? In this state, you're utterly helpless and you can probably count on being so for the next few weeks at least."

He knew where this was going and most certainly didn't like it. The fact that Nathalie didn't speak only seemed to confirm his fears. There was enough of an understanding between them that words weren't required. She knew that he had come to the exact same conclusion that she had. By leaving a pause, she gave him an opportunity to think matters over, to reflect on his next course of action. Albeit, she was steering him in a direction, knowing full well that he didn't have many to pick from but equally aware that he was likely to go for the least logical option.

Anger and irritation bubbled under the surface. It was somewhat childish, he was still conscious enough to realize that much. Another grown-up telling him what he could and couldn't do. There was a time when he would have gone along with it without question. He'd spent his formative years being told how to live his life. Only Cat Noir and his friends had offered him some of the freedom he longed for. That was over a decade ago though. Now, he was an adult, more inclined to argue and throw his weight around. Later, he might blame his response on the pain or simply a result of exhaustion.

"I can handle myself Nathalie!" He snapped aggressively.

"I will not be responsible for putting you in a box!" Her tone was firm but surprisingly emotional for the woman. "So either you get real or I will walk out of that door!"

He opened his mouth, contemplating attempting to argue. Then he remembered that when faced with Nathalie, a defeat was practically a certainty. Instead, he hesitated, thinking his words over first. Perhaps, if he explained his doubts and concerns about the path which she so obviously hoped he would take and he dared not even contemplate venturing down it. There was far too much at stake. It was bad enough that he'd probably unwittingly dragged his assistant into this whole mess without potentially involving anyone else. Letting out a heavy sigh, the rested his head against the back of the chair.

"If I let them back in, then that means they could get hurt." The young man averted his gaze, focusing on the city lights rather than the woman. "I can't let them that happen to them. They've got their own lives to live. They'll become targets. I can't put them in danger..."

"I know what the miraculouses are capable of. I've seen it with my own two eyes and like you, been on the receiving end a couple of times." Nathalie let out a heavy sigh. "If that box gets stolen, it's all of our lives."

"I won't let them take it!"

Once more, he attempted to get up. This time, as opposed to it being Nathalie who prevented him from getting to his feet, his whole body stepped in. His muscles, particularly his abdominals, strained informing him not to move any further or else he risked causing some serious damage. Groaning, he allowed himself to fall back into the chair, breathing heavily as he did so. Next to him, he heard the woman shift slightly, standing over him, evidently concerned. He raised his hand, signalling that he was alright. Well, not quite but that she didn't have to worry about him having done anything serious. Like it or not, his body was confirming what the assistant had already told him…

In his mind however, he found himself thinking back to the peaceful and normal lives which his friends had managed to achieve for themselves. Giving them miraculouses would mean asking them to step up and become the heroes of Paris once more. Something that they had given up a very long ago and for good reason too. It had eaten into their lives, whilst some collégiens might have been able to cope, it was unlikely that Alya's boss, Nino's clients or Marinette's university would be understanding if they were suddenly absent, especially with no akumas to be able to use as excuses. On the other hand, as Nathalie had pointed out, without help. There was a very real possibility of the power of the miraculouses falling into the wrong hands.

"Adrien, you don't have to give them the miraculouses permanently-" This time, it was Plagg who spoke to him. "-but at least until you're back on your feet. You could probably do with the protection."

"I know… I know..." He lowered his head in shame before asking in a quiet voice. "Nathalie, could you go and get the miraculous box? You know where it is..."

"Of course..."

He heard her walk away slowly, probably all the better for it. Once the box was before him, there would be no going back. He felt Plagg resting against him, perched somewhere on his good shoulder. It was a welcome and comforting presence in the darkness which surrounded him. Nathalie would be a good few minutes. The time it took her to use the elevator and retrieve the box, it would no doubt be enough for him to start having regrets. As such, he tried his best not to think as he waited for her to return. It would have been nice to be able to drift off only to wake up and find out that what happened last night was simply a nightmare. Unfortunately, the lingering pain was enough to remind him that no matter how much he wished that this was a dream, he knew that he wasn't so fortunate.

Nathalie returned a while later. She placed the box cautiously down on a table next to him. He leaned forwards, his tense muscles and sore skin made keying in the code in difficult, that was to say nothing about the blindness. He fumbled, struggling to enter the proper code. After several failed attempts, he finally heard the rewarding click as the top opened up, revealing the numerous gems contained within. His hand passed over them, fingers brushing over each piece of jewellery as he attempted to recognize it. Cautiously, he plucked one out and held it out, offering to the woman. Whilst he couldn't see her response, the silence seemed to speak volumes for it:

"Here..." He managed to croak out.

"Adrien, I swore that-"

"Nathalie, I trust you and there's no way I'm leaving you defenceless. Please, take it."

There was another pause, marked by hesitation. Then, very slowly, Nathalie placed her fingers around the miraculous and took it. The peafowl broach was powerful but more importantly, the woman was familiar with it. She knew how its powers worked from both personal experience and then watching another use it. For the time being at least, she would be the greatest protector he could dare to hope for. He closed his eyes, breathing deeply as he tried once more to fight off a wave of pain as it struck him. Despite everything, he thought that he felt a familiar rush of energy which was associated with the kwamis.

"Nathalie?!" The kwami's surprise was evident, perhaps this wasn't quite the awakening that she'd been expecting.

"Hello again Duusuu..."

"Nathalie..." He called out to her, a sense of urgency taking hold. "Please, call the others..."

 ** _/_**

 ** _Thanks again for the review!_**


	12. Winds of war

It was Nathalie who greeted them at the door, just as it had been Nathalie to call them. The situation was just about odd enough to have them confused and concerned. She'd sounded relatively calm, if tired, on the phone. That had been enough to reassure them and prevent outright panic from the ranks. Still, all three having compared accounts, they were still none-the-wiser as to just why they had been summoned here like this. The assistant had been brief, simply requesting their presence and refusing to go into any detail about just what was going on before hanging up. They had all received exactly the same treatment from the woman. Telling them not to rush but to none-the-less get here as soon as possible.

Something had happened, of that, there could be doubt.

The group didn't speak much. Anxiousness and perhaps if they were honest some hangovers from the night before made them unwilling to cloud an already tense atmosphere with more talk. All of them knew that the only way that they were going to get answers was by following Nathalie's instructions and seeing for themselves. The radio silence on the part of Adrien was worrying enough however. Their own private theories which they had kept to themselves had ranged from their friend suddenly deciding or for some reason being called back to Tibet or something far more sinister. The only comfort had come from the fact that for the news had been pleasantly free of any atrocities Agreste related. Had anything serious happened to the young man, no doubt the press would have been all over it.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, it was Nathalie who answered the door letting them through both the gate and then letting them into the mansion proper. She looked exhausted. Usually, no matter what had been thrown in her direction, the assistant always seemed to be able to weather it. Marinette imagined that explosions could have been going off all around her and she would still have been trying to arrange the next press conference on her tablet. Today however, she wasn't wearing her typical make-up allowing some bags under her eyes to be easily noticeable. Even her clothes were far simpler, simply a jumper and some trousers with a showl thrown over her shoulders for good measure. She stepped out of the doorway quickly, allowing the four young adults into the large house.

Adrien wasn't around. Again, that much wasn't entirely a surprise. They'd figured that whatever had happened, it had to concern him, one way or another. Marinette opened her mouth ready to speak, to demand to know just where their friend was. Something however, a very small detail in the scheme of things, caught her attention. The peacock miraculous... It was pinned on the woman's jumper, a place which it had occupied not all that long ago. For a moment, horror came over the young woman as she recalled just how much trouble Mayura had given them. It was only a second later when a small blue kwami manifested itself that she felt herself relax slightly. Duusuu didn't appear to be all that concerned by the situation. That left them with two options, either she'd stolen the miraculous and then called them here for some bizarre reason or…

"Where's Adrien?!"

"He's waiting. Follow me."

Not exactly the explanation they'd been hoping for. The group exchanged a look once more, uncertain but powerless to do anything other than follow. The mansion was calm, almost impossibly quiet. There seemed to be something of an ominous atmosphere hanging overhead. Not to mention a distinct chill in the air. Marinette recalled Adrien mentioning something about the central heating not functioning, a burst pipe or something? It didn't seem to matter all that much now.

It was impossible not to start imagining the worst possible scenarios. If he was waiting, that seemed to indicate that he was in a good enough state to talk with them. It was reassuring in a way, although equally they couldn't help but wonder just why the young man hadn't been with them to greet him and why on earth his assistant was now in possession of a miraculous she had once wielded against them. There could be little doubt that something grave must have happened. They didn't go as far as Marinette had been expecting. She'd half been expecting them to go upstairs to the rooms. Instead, she lead them only a few feet away to the lounge doors. There, she stopped one hand on the handle ready to let them in. Her hesitation lasted a few moments, as the older woman turned back around to face them. She hesitated before speaking once more in a quieter voice this time:

"He was hurt and still in some pain but his life's not in any danger..." The woman added a moment after. "Just brace yourselves..."

She didn't explain herself any further. Leaving them in a state of shock and terror. Marinette almost didn't want the doors open. Her mind had conjured up the worst possible scenarios in the space of a few seconds. The slight creak as the door was opened didn't even register. She found herself faced with the urge to turn tail and run. She didn't want to see what was so bad that someone usually so stiff and distant as Nathalie had felt it necessary to warn them prior to letting them see their friend.

The door was open now but she couldn't see Adrien. The young woman gradually became aware of the fact that her friends were moving, entering the room. They did so slowly, uncertainly. Hardly a surprise given the warning they had been given. She suspected that like her, they too didn't particularly want to see what had been done to their friend. At the same time, a panicked concern for his well-being was enough to spur Marinette on and push her through the door. If he was hurt or otherwise in trouble, then he would need their support. Presumably, that was why they were here. Assuming that this wasn't a decision that Nathalie had made in his stead. That much wasn't impossible but would imply that the young man wasn't in any state to express himself. She'd rather not dwell on that possibility.

The four youths came to an instant stop as soon as their eyes fell upon the figure of the young man occupying an armchair. Struck by horror, they could do little more than stare at him.

He was lying somewhat limply there. His left arm dangled down uselessly whilst his right rested on his lap. That in itself wasn't what struck them. Naturally, the first thing they noticed was the bandage wrapped around his eyes. There was no blood but what some of the skin around the edges was decidedly pink, allowing them to guess that what was hidden underneath must have been worse. He was looking or more appropriately facing somewhat in their direction however confirming that he was indeed conscious. After a moment however, their eyes began to wander slightly over the rest of the young man, taking note of the numerous other bandaged up wounds as well as those which had been left to heal in the open air and the bruises which decorated parts of his body. He was a mess. His blonde hair was matted and stained with a mixture of dirt and the occasional fleck of red.

The silence which hung in the room, only seemed to make the deep and rather uneasy breaths that he was taking. There could be little doubt that this wasn't the result of some accident or of him walking into a door. The damage was too severe and yet he was sitting here as opposed to seeking professional help at a hospital. All things which pointed towards one single possibility…

"Adrien..." It was Nathalie who spoke, she did so cautiously as if she wasn't quite sure how to act around him. "Your friends are here."

"I know… I can hear them." He moved his head slightly, seemingly to glance around the room. "I'm sorry for disturbing you guys but it really couldn't wait."

An apology at a time like this seemed out of place. Whilst they certainly hadn't waited around before coming here, had they known the exact nature of what had happened, they would no doubt have raced to get to the mansion. Perhaps that's why Nathalie had been so vague over the phone with them. Had they not wanted to cause a panic? Growing a little braver, Marinette dared to take a few steps closer to where the young man set. She could just about recall saying "goodbye" to him the night before. It was all a little foggy, largely due to the alcohol. Whatever had happened, must have occurred after he had left her. Unless they had been attacked here but that seemed unlikely given that the house was still in order.

"What on earth…?" She couldn't even begin to formulate what was going through her mind at that moment.

"After we said goodbye. I noticed that I was being followed." He was forced to pause in order to take a few deep breaths. "They jumped me down some alley. I only just managed to escape."

It was something which they could likely have figured out for themselves. Just who could have attacked him in such a manner was another question. Despite all of his efforts, it was likely inevitable that some Parisiens would still resent him for his parents' actions. Even ignoring that, there were enough nutters in the city for it to be possible that he'd just been unfortunate enough to cross paths with one. Something stirred in the back of Marinette's mind however which brought those theories into doubt. Nathalie had told them that he spent hours each day working out, a part of that was combat training. Who could possibly catch him off guard in such a manner as to be able to do this to him?

That didn't seem to matter so much as the young man groaned in pain. He shifted gritting his teeth as he did so. On his shoulder, Plagg's concern for his partner was obvious. His discomfort was only brief but none-the-less troubling:

"Dude… Your eyes..."

"I still have them." He sounded calm, as if he'd already accepted his fate. "I just can't see anything out of them. I'm not sure if I'll be able to again."

Marinette could only stare at him. Sympathy would kick in eventually but for now, shock seemed to be drowning everything else out. Just what manner of a human-being did this to another? Adrien had numerous faults but at the end of the day was a kind soul. It was almost impossible to imagine that he had gone looking for trouble. Yet someone or rather a group of individuals had intentionally inflicted this upon him, potentially leaving him crippled for life. She felt somewhat sick in her stomach. Unable to comprehend or even think properly. It took her a few seconds to realize that she was actually shaking as she stood there:

"Who did this to you?"

Anger crept into her voice. Was it normal to be enraged at a time like this? In a few seconds, no doubt concern for his well-being would return. For that brief while however all that remained of her self-control was gone, replaced instead by a desire for vengeance. It wasn't the first time that she had felt rage like this but it was a sensation that she had forgotten about more or less. It was the first time that she had felt such a violent impulse since confronting Hawk Moth and Mayura. A cold hatred, a desire to strike down those who would dare to harm someone innocent in such a brutal manner. She didn't particularly care if she had to storm out there and track down prime assassins, she would do it if it meant preventing the culprits from ever doing anything similar again.

It took Adrien a few moments before he finally answered. It would seem that he still needed a few deep breaths before he felt able to speak.

"I'm not too sure but they were well prepared and they knew who I, who Cat Noir was." There was another pause and he took a few more breaths. "Please, show them Nathalie."

They'd almost forgotten about her. It was hard to focus on anything asides from Adrien. Even as the woman walked around to pick up a white cloth, it proved almost impossible for them to tear their eyes away from their friend. Despite the obvious discomfort, the young man seemed to be unusually sedate. He sat there, waiting patiently but showed no concern in terms of a possible attack to come. Although granted, the blindfold made it rather difficult to make out his expression. A few seconds later, Nathalie presented them with what looked like darts. They were strange contraptions which would evidently have contained some form of liquid at some point judging by the now empty vials. Upon closer inspection, it could be noted that some of the metal displayed the occasional fleck of blood, some of which came off in the tissue.

A little unsure, Marinette raised her gaze to meet that of the woman, wondering just why they were being shown these odd items. They looked like they would be better suited to a hospital than a place like this. The young woman hesitated, unsure about just what was expected of them. Were they supposed to pick one of these things up and examine them? Keep them as souvenirs? Instead, all that she and her friends could do was stare at them.

"It's hard to be certain but we think these things-" She raised one of the small darts up into the light so that they could see it. "Contain a sedative."

"My head started to spin as soon as I got hit..." Adrien recalled rubbing his right arm as if it were painful.

"If we assume that these things were intended to knock out and that the other wounds aren't deep-"

"They sure look deep." Chloe couldn't help but note, even with the bandages, it was clear that they were severe enough to cause him a fair amount of suffering.

"-but they're not life threatening." It was the young man who replied.

"They wanted you alive..." Marinette muttered the statement more than anything else.

Adrien turned his head slowly so that he faced her or at least roughly in her direction. In actual fact, he was fixing somewhere a little bit to her right. It was obvious that he was decidedly hazy about just where she was currently standing. For a moment, she contemplated taking a few steps closer and taking his hand, just to let him know that she was there and he didn't need to keep on searching. The same horror which had initially struck her rooted her feet to the spot however, leaving her powerless but to stare at the bandaged up eyes and battered face. The young man let out another pained sigh. With every passing moment, he seemed to be losing ever more of what precious little strength he had left.

"It's my duty to protect the miraculouses. If someone's coming for them, then I have to stop them..." His muscles tensed up abruptly. In response, Adrien simply rested his head against the back of the chair, waiting until some calm returned. "-but I can't…"

Nobody said anything. A silent understanding passed between everyone present. The new guardian of their miraculouses might have survived the attack but it had left him in a pitiful state. Right now, Marinette was pretty sure that she could have gotten the better of him. To trained individuals, he would be a sitting duck. Stealing the jewels from an individual who the young woman doubted would have been able to stand would be child's play. Whilst no medical expert, it was plain to the eye that Adrien was going to be out of the count for quite some time which would leave his precious charges terribly vulnerable.

He had a protector. It would seem that Nathalie Sancoeur hadn't objected too much to reclaiming her mantle as the peacock miraculous holder. She wouldn't be enough. Not against enemies who had been able to do this to a fairly experienced Cat Noir. If nothing else, it was unlikely that she was going to be able to tend to her wounded employer, manage his business and keep an eye over the jewels. Both of them needed help. Given the nature of the situation, they didn't have many people to turn to and so, had summoned the few they could trust before them. Despite the pause, Adrien was still the one to speak. His voice was quiet, ashamed:

"You know what I'm going to offer you, to ask."

It was strange how up until that point, she hadn't noticed the presence of the miraculous box sitting on the table. It was wide open. Only the cat and peafowl miraculouses were absent. Both their holders stood before them now: one blind and helpless, the other rigidly straight and seemingly made out of stone as she failed to display any emotion of any sort. It was clear that this was the last thing that Adrien wanted to ask of them. There was little doubt in Marinette's mind that had he been able to stand or at the very least still retained his sight, then he wouldn't have called them here, he wouldn't be asking them to reclaim their former mantels. That spoke about just how desperate and perhaps also afraid he must have been.

She exchanged glances with her friends. One of the downsides to not being informed about just what to expect was that they most definitely hadn't been able to prepare themselves for such a request, much less discuss the practicalities amongst themselves. All of the group could remember just how much dedication being the heroes of Paris – even on a part-time basis – had required. If anything, the speed of their daily lives had only picked up. Still, one look confirmed that all four of them were in a silent agreement: they couldn't leave their friend alone. The former Ladybug stepped forwards, the sound of her feet on the floor must have given him some greater clue as to where she was standing as her friend's head turned ever so slightly so that he was now facing properly in her direction.

"We'll do it." She spoke for all of them.

"It's just temporary." Adrien spoke quickly, as if he somehow felt the pressing need to justify his actions and his request. "Until I'm back on my feet. I don't want you guys to put yourselves in any danger unnecessarily or ruining your lives. I know you have work and school-"

"Dude!" Nino cut him short, his voice firm in its reassurance. "We're your friends! There's no way that we're leaving you alone, mortal danger or not!"

Adrien said nothing, lowering his head. For the briefest of moments, some lines seemed to form on his brow, indicating that he was frowning. A split second later however he seemed to jump, hissing with pain as he went. Marinette's best guess as to just what could be accountable for the odd action was that the skin around his eyes was so sensitive that even the slightest movement around them such as the most basic of facial expressions was painful.

He gritted his teeth, putting his hands down on the arms of his chair. Before anyone could stop him, the young man pushed himself up and was on his feet. He stood there, rocking back and forth for a few moments, causing them to instinctively step forwards, afraid that he might be about to topple forwards. He raised a hand, gesturing for them to stop. They did so, none-the-less eyeing him cautiously should he tumble. Taking a single deep breath. He walked towards the table. One hand outstretched in front of him so that he might find it before they collided. Marinette stepped forwards eager to offer some form of assistance. He managed to make it over to the miraculous box of his own accord. Plagg, floated near his hand, seemingly guiding him. He fumbled, blind hands gliding over the various jewels. They slowed a few times, trying to take in the shapes and forms until he was certain just what he had.

Finally, he turned around, the bee miraculous held out in his outstretched palm:

"Chloe Bourgeois, I'm offering you the miraculous of the bee. It..." His voice trailed off abruptly as he found himself out of breath. "It offers you the power to immobilize your opponent. You will use it for good. Once the task is complete, you will return your miraculous to me. Do I have your word?"

Naturally, she accepted. A few seconds later, she was handed the miraculous. The mayor's daughter was only too eager to slip the pin into her hair. A familiar flash of light illuminated the room. A tiny and somewhat unusual creature which resembled a bee appeared seemingly out of nowhere. It wasn't even half way through it's greeting before the blonde woman rushed forwards and grabbed a hold of it. Thankfully, she seemed to be able to maintain enough self-control to avoid crushing the rather startled kwami. Marinette was a little surprised by the show of affection. Whilst her friend had come on leaps and bounds since their younger days, it was equally true that she wasn't always the most open and certainly not the most affectionate of people. As such, seeing her so evidently relieved to find her former partner again was surprising.

Adrien proceeded in the same manner for his other friends, handing out both the turtle and fox miraculous in no particular order other than the first one he managed to locate. Their joy was equally as obvious as they found themselves reunited with their kwamis. Marinette wondered if they were ever allowed out in the same way that Plagg, Tikki and Wayzz had been when all three had had permanent partners. It was unlikely without their miraculouses being in use. This could be the first time any of them had been outside of the box in over a decade. Her eyes rested on the young man. He seemed to have come to a slight stop, paying little attention to the others as he stood there frozen. He was so terribly pale and battered that it was difficult to tell if he was simply lost in thought or if something was wrong and he was about to collapse. He seemed to linger there, his attention elsewhere.

Finally, he turned back around holding out the earrings to her. For some reason, he said nothing, keeping his head bowed. Cautiously, she extended her own hand and took them. She put on earrings almost every single day and yet right now, she found her hands to be trembling. A part of it was apprehension but if she was utterly honest with herself, there was more than a little excitement there. She found herself smiling, ever-so-slightly as a bright light lit up the room and she felt a familiar presence. A few seconds later, she found herself face to face with Tikki.

It was clear that the kwami was a little taken back by the whole situation. Her eyes widened, blinking a few times in disbelief, as if she assumed that this must have been an illusion or a dream. After a few seconds of stunned silence however, a smile slowly began to creep over the creature's face as she recognized her former partner. A good few years had passed and Marinette was only too aware that whilst she was hardly unrecognizable, she was no longer a fourteen year old. Tikki darted forwards a few seconds later, colliding with the young woman in order to give what could best be described as a huge. The young woman did her best to hold her old friend close without crushing her. She was aware that this wasn't quite the time for such fond reunions, that could no doubt come later… Still, it was impossible not to speak a few words to someone whom she'd feared she would never lay eyes on again.

"Marinette! I didn't think I'd see you again! How long has it been?"

"Ten years." She replied trying not to think back to the painful farewell.

"This isn't Tibet..."

This place must have been at least somewhat familiar for the kwami. Her attention only wandered around briefly before it fell upon Adrien. Instantly, any notions of a fond reunion were forgotten about. The young man's legs were shaking, obviously struggling to keep himself still standing. He took a few uneasy steps away from the table and back towards the armchair where he had been resting earlier. His breathing had sped up, as if even just standing up was proving to be an exertion. One glance was enough to confirm that his strength was abandoning him at a rate of knots. The way that he moved was uncoordinated enough for them to realize that he was going to fall. Acting purely on instinct, those gathered approached rapidly, sensing that their friend was liable to collapse, their hearts in their mouths.

Somehow he managed to do so by falling backwards and landing comparatively softly in the armchair behind him. He lay there, his body limp for the most part and head hanging back in something of an awkward position. He lay there for a few moments, breathing heavily, as if he'd just ran a marathon. With his eyes bandaged the way that they were, it wasn't even obvious if he was conscious or not. As the seconds trickled by, he gave no signs or clues as the whether or not he was still awake. Finally, it was Marinette, growing ever more concerned by the minute who spoke, edging closer, step by step:

"Adrien?"

"Mhm… Mari-?" He groaned shifting ever-so-slightly, he sounded groggy barely even aware of his surroundings. "I think I might sleep for a while now..."

A few seconds later, he was motionless. His head fell down limply, all the tension in his body simply vanishing. It was clear that he had lost consciousness. The question was: why? In his current state, Marinette was only too inclined to fear the worst. His breathing was still strained and heavy, a clear indication that something wasn't quite right. Nathalie approached at a steady pace. She didn't appear all that concerned by events. There was a business-like attitude about the woman which was somehow appeasing. She managed to convey the feeling that she knew exactly what was going on and more importantly, how to handle it. It was with almost medical professionalism that she took the young man's pulse, pressing her fingers carefully against his neck. She counted under her breath for a few moments.

Despite how relaxed the assistant seemed to be, Alya couldn't help but ask in a nervous tone:

"Is he okay?"

"Pushed himself too far." The woman replied turning back around to face them. "Now that you're here… Do you think you could help me carry him upstairs to his room? He needs proper rest."

They all obliged. The assistant reminded them to be careful. He wouldn't thank them if they managed to tear out any of his stitches or otherwise worsened his injuries. It would be best to treat him as if he were made out of glass. She lacked the strength to move him by herself but if they all worked together, it shouldn't be much of a challenge, not for such a relatively short piece of distance. They agreed and found themselves somewhat surprised to see the woman simply walk out of the room without explaining where she went. Perhaps, she was so used to dealing with things around the Agreste household by herself that she no longer felt it necessary to justify her exactions or explain them. The group exchanged glances, unsure just how to proceed. Should they try and move him now or wait until the woman returned? They were in the process of debating the matter, when Nathalie returned without so much as a word as to just where she had been.

She showed them where the worst of his injuries were and advised them on how best to carry the young man if they wanted to avoid worsening them. They agreed and working together as a group, succeeded in picking him up. Marinette was aware that she wasn't the strongest person in the world. She wasn't the type of woman to do sit-ups before going to bed. No doubt, Anansi would have made this all look like child's play. For the four young adults however, he was heavy. It was impressive that the assistant had been able to get him in here by herself. When questioned about the matter, she confessed that for the most part, he had been dragged rather unceremoniously. Glancing down at the tiles, it was possible to make out a few splatters of blood which the assistant evidently hadn't been able to clean up yet. Somehow, with all of them working together, they were able to get the young man upstairs and into his bedroom. It came as something of a relief to be able to drop Adrien off in his bed both for their backs and simply to see him finally comfortable.

He was still out cold. He didn't even react to their presence. At least his breathing seemed to have become a little bit steadier. The young man now appeared to be sleeping as opposed to suffering. Still, it was a painful sight to behold for those who knew and cared for him. They stood there, simply watching as he took his deep breaths. He was resting but evidently still not entirely at peace:

"He's going to be okay, right?" Marinette asked the woman as they finished tucking him in.

"If you're asking if he's going to live, then he will." Nathalie let out a sigh, shaking her head slightly. "As for recovery… Only time will tell. I've done all I can for him."

"What about his eyes?" A slightly more tentative question from Nino.

Nathalie didn't immediately respond. That in itself was as much of an answer as any of the group really needed. The somewhat regretful look that she offered them a moment later only confirmed what Marinette had suspected. The woman didn't know or at the very least, she wasn't entirely sure. What she wasn't, was hopeful. That in itself was a lot to digest. The idea that their friend might have lost the use of his eyes all together brought with it more consequences and implications than any of them could really come to grips with in their entirety. Already, they had seen the usually confident and agile young man stumble around and struggle to even do so much as pick up a piece of jewellery. Whilst no doubt he could adapt, it would still leave him both crippled and vulnerable for a considerable amount of time.

Marinette shook her head, deciding not to dwell on that possibility for too long. If her experience with Adrien/Cat Noir had taught her anything it was that he was both impossibly resilient and full of surprises. It was far from impossible that he might yet bounce back and surprise all of them.

It was decided that they would leave him in peace. Only Plagg remained, refusing point blank to abandon his partner. The kwami curled up on the young man's chest, just like a cat and remained there. Whether he was sleeping, dozing or simply resting, the young woman couldn't have said but knowing that her friend had a companion to keep him company whilst he tried his best to recover was a comfort in itself. They left the two of them there. Hoping that when they returned, things would look a bit brighter. Instead, the humans with their accompanying kwamis made their way back down to the lounge. Despite the fact that she hadn't been on her feet all that long, Marinette felt impossibly drained. She collapsed just as much as she sat in the sofa. Even Nathalie, usually calm and composed, allowed her exhaustion to show as she sat in an armchair, her head lying back whilst she looked up at the ceiling.

No words were spoken. It was shock, no doubt which played a part. Marinette couldn't help but look at Tikki. The kwami didn't press her to speak. Instead, she simply floated nearby providing comfort in her own way. There was so much that she wanted to discuss with her partner or rather remembered that she wanted to talk about through the many years that she had spent missing the creature's presence. Now, a mixture of exhaustion and a worry in the pit of her stomach which she simply couldn't ignore prevented her from doing so. No matter how much she tried, her mind kept on drifting back upstairs to the young man who she had once fallen in love with. It was impossible to forget about the pain that he had been in or to ignore the fact that those who had inflicted it upon him were still out there somewhere, likely just waiting for the opportunity to finish their work. It must have been about ten minutes which just trickled by in such a fashion before finally Alya asked, barely even moving:

"Now what?"

"We need to protect Adrien and the miraculouses." Marinette replied, that much seemed pretty obvious. "Whoever did this, they're still out there."

"He's going to be off his feet for a while." Chloe reminded them sitting up a little straighter. "Are we supposed to guard this place 24/7? People are going to ask questions..."

"We'll work something out." Ladybug declared, it was something which she hadn't even given much thought yet. "We need some sort of rotor. So that there's always at least one of us here. The rest of us can go and try to track down the monsters who did this."

"Adrien won't like that..."

Nathalie's statement drew their attention. She was still looking up blankly at the ceiling above her but upon noticing that she had captured some of their attention, the woman turned back to face them. She pinched the bridge of her nose. The woman looked well and truly terrible. A mixture of the stresses of the night and a lack of sleep had taken their toll and she now looked as if she might be about to pass out herself at any given moment. Still, her comment earned a mixture of confusion and some irritation. It was natural for them to want to go after those who had harmed their friend, not just for vengeance's sake but to ensure that the miraculouses remained safe.

"We've got to!" Nino argued back, his resolve firm. "If we don't, then those dudes are just going to come back."

"I didn't say that you shouldn't. You just need to know that Adrien won't like it." She let out a heavy sigh, placing her head in her hands. "It wasn't easy to convince him to give you back your miraculouses and you can bet he's not going to like the idea of you four running around out there with them."

"He doesn't trust us then..." Marinette grumbled instinctively resenting the implication.

"It's not that. He just doesn't want to see you hurt..." The woman peered over her glasses towards them. "Please, don't go and prove him right."

"We'll try..." Ladybug promised.

There was so much to do. For the moment, all they had to show for themselves was suffering. She doubted that any of them would be up to doing much today. There could be no doubt however that the winds had changed. There was a new battle to come...


	13. Rediscovered

It was surprisingly easy to get used to jumping over the parisien rooftops again. It was as if a part of her former life as a hero of Paris had never left her. Whilst Marinette had found herself to be rusty for lack of a better word, she was soon able to get to grips with her yo-yo and what amount of strength was required to clear a certain distance. She was able to leap through the air effortlessly. Feats which would have been inconceivable for even the greatest athletes became child's play for those wielding the power of a miraculous. Queen Bee managed to keep up. Both of them remained discrete, taking care not to perform overly daring stunts which risked highlighting their presence to the city. Already, there were whispers and rumours about Ladybug being back. They tried their best not to fuel them.

Standing atop the Pantheon, the whole city was visible. It seemed to stretch out far beyond the horizon. Not all of it was Paris, Marinette knew that much. She could make out the peripherique its associated near permanent traffic jams and beyond that lay several large agglomerations which had more or less been absorbed into the larger city. It was a vast space, home to millions and with literally thousands of alleyways, attics and cellars for people to hide. As breathtaking as the sight might be, it also served to remind the heroes of the immensity of the task before them. Ladybug took the opportunity to catch her breath, distracting herself by trying to spot some familiar locations like her school or her old college and her house. It was better than dwelling on the current situation…

Her companion however seemed a little more restless. To be fair, she was expected to attend some form of gala in the next half hour and could no doubt sense the clock ticking down:

"Lets face it… They could be anywhere!" Queen Bee declared irritation after three days of fruitless searching becoming clear.

"I know…" Ladybug let out in a sigh. "They'll have gone to ground."

The implications were multiple. Least of which was that their enemies could be anywhere in the vast city. Likely, they would be waiting. It was fair to assume that they would have the Agreste mansion under some form of surveillance. They would know that there were at least three new heroes protecting him and would adapt accordingly. No doubt they were being doubly cautious. According to Adrien, there was at least three members of the group who had attacked him. They were well trained and efficient but they would know that with an extra five miraculouses out in play that the advantage was not in their favour. So they would be cautious, lying low and waiting for a time to strike. Either that or they had run.

All they could do was wait. Protect the miraculouses and their injured guardian and hope for the best.

Waiting around wasn't something which she particularly appreciated. In an ideal world, she would have liked to be able to track down those responsible and bring them to justice so that they would no longer have to worry about them. Instead, they were left with uncertainty. The situation bore a certain resemblance to the initial mess with Hawk Moth, they were in constant danger but unable to locate the source of the problem so as to be able to deal with it. She suspected that unless they came up with some ingenious solution to allow them to track down their foes, they weren't going to encounter them again until they made a move. They wouldn't do that until they were certain that they were going to be able to get what they wanted. A depressing thought but one which she had come to terms with over the past few days.

"If you want to go to that gala, I'll head back and give Adrien the bad news." She declared turning back towards her friend.

"You sure?" As enthusiastic as she looked, Chloe still hesitated, genuinely concerned. "I can come with you if you-"

"Nah, it's fine." Ladybug offered her a reassuring smile. "I'll deal with him."

"Thanks… Text me to say how things went!"

Marinette nodded once before jumping off of the side of the building, using her yo-yo to swing along. Adrien's was quite far away. The other side of the city as a matter of a fact. Whilst she took the opportunity to survey the streets for any sign of the masked individuals who they had been hunting for the past few days. Not that she would see them down there. Paris might be a busy place but such people would still stand out in the crowd. Her mind was elsewhere at any rate. She wasn't looking forwards to having to explain that once more, their efforts had been in vain. Not because she was particularly ashamed of failure but because every time they left the relative safety of the mansion, she knew that her old friend wouldn't stop climbing the walls until they had returned. Even once they were notionally safe, he would generally remind them that they were vulnerable and so on and so forth.

Whilst she now expected it, it didn't make it any less frustrating. It was a lecture which they could all do without. She knew that they drove their friend to madness by going off on their missions but realistically it was the only way that they were going to bring his attackers to justice. He worried about them. It was neigh on impossible to convince him to do anything else. She could only imagine what it was like for those left behind in the mansion to deal with him. Hence why she hurried back. The sun was setting now, the longer she stayed out after dark, the more he would worry. Not to mention, she had to get back home to finish a paper due for a date which was approaching rather too quickly for her liking.

She'd been given a key to the front door. They all had. It was in case of emergencies but also had the added benefit of meaning that they didn't have to trouble Nathalie. They could slip in and find their friend, leaving her to deal with running the business. Adrien didn't tend to wander too much. He was almost inevitably either in his room or the lounge. Usually, it was the former. Marinette transformed back into her civilian form. She let out a soft sigh as Tikki floated near her head. A silent understanding passed between the two of them, acknowledging yet another day of failure. Their first destination was the lounge but it was empty. Adrien almost inevitably sat in the same armchair, until they returned, it would be resting by the window. It was still there but its occupant was absent. He could have gone to the bathroom, she supposed and so, the young woman decided to wait a few moments accordingly.

It was only after she'd been sitting in the room for a few minutes, that she finally heard the voices upstairs. There was a permanent silence which hung over the mansion, making it seem almost abandoned. It had never been the warmest of places. Even with its more sinister residents gone, the current ones were struggling to escape their terrible legacy. As such, even the most minute of sounds seemed to resonate around the entire building. She couldn't hear the words exactly but could tell that there were at least two people having a conversation. Exchanging a quizzical look with her kwami, she slipped out of the room and into the main hall. Moving silently, she followed the sounds, they were coming from upstairs. It didn't take long for her to identify them as belonging to both Adrien and Nathalie. In truth, they weren't speaking all that often. The assistant was doing most of it. The young man must have returned to his room. She reasoned that she had better make her presence known to ease his concern.

"Head back..."

She heard Nathalie's instructions as she entered the door, they struck her as being somewhat strange. It was only when she walked into the young man's bedroom that she found herself stopping dead. He was sitting on his chair, head tilted back so that he was looking up at the ceiling. Next to him, the older woman was busy applying eye-drops. Marinette was aware that the assistant was currently doubling as a nurse but this was the first time that she'd actually seen the young man being treated. His wounds were something that he guarded closely. They could only guess as to their severity by the pain which he periodically failed to mask or by his evasive responses when asked about them. Now that she could see them, his friend found herself frozen in horror, suddenly understanding why he'd been so eager to conceal his injuries.

The young man stopped before sitting up slightly, his head turning towards the general direction of the door:

"Marinette..."

She didn't respond. Just how he knew that she was there was beyond her. A simple deduction, maybe? He must have heard her. Whilst his eyesight might have been crippled, the rest of his senses were recovering enough to allow the young man to compensate, at least to a degree. He was expecting both her and Queen Bee back. Her best guess was that over the past few days, he had gotten so used to hearing them come and go that he could now tell apart their footsteps and identify who was there. Either that or he had somehow sensed her presence. Whatever the case, they knew that she was there. For all that, the young woman couldn't respond, still unable to do anything other than stare. Nathalie looked over in her direction, evidently irritated at having been disturbed in such a fashion.

"Can we have a minute please?" He spoke softly to the assistant.

"Let me do the other one first."

Adrien didn't object, tilting his head back diligently as before whilst the woman carefully applied some more drops to his other eye. It wasn't a lengthy process. She was done a few seconds later. The woman sealed up the bottle before putting it back down on a table next to another set of bottles and bandages, a veritable little nurse's station. She said nothing as she left, moving in her usual clipped and business-like. She slowed however, just as she passed by Marinette who was still occupying the doorway. Curiously, it was all that was required for the aspiring fashion designer to tear her attention off of her friend. She received a strange look from Nathalie, one which she had trouble placing. It wasn't entirely cold and hostile but neither was it overly warm. A warning of sorts was given. It's meaning was lost on the younger who was still struggling to recover from the shock of seeing her friend's current state. Thankfully, the older woman's intervention was enough to shake her out of her stupor.

As the assistant left, she found herself daring to venture a little further into the room. There was quite a pungent smell of antiseptic which lingered, causing her to instinctively wrinkle her nose with disgust. It wasn't a pleasant aroma, one which assaulted both the olfactory and visual senses, stinging at her eyes as well. She approached Adrien cautiously, his head seemed to be hanging as he sat there in his armchair. Her mouth was dry. It hung open slightly but no words could come out. She couldn't even begin to think what to say. That in turn made her feel terrible. If only because her friend was being so dreadfully silent as well. She paused, only a few feet away from the chair but unable to go any further. Then, the young man let out along with the softest and regretful sigh:

"I didn't want you to see me like this."

The young man turned his head so as to face her. She managed to hold back a gasp. They knew that he'd been sprayed with some sort of chemical, something along the lines of pepperspray Nathalie had said. The skin around his eyes and eyelids was red, evidently it had been burned. That wasn't what she found most difficult to bare however. It was the way that his orbs wandered. Over the course of a week, she'd gotten somewhat used to him not quite looking at where she was. If anything, he was more inclined to turn his head to one side, presumably so that he could hear her more clearly. Now though, his green eyes drifted around, flicking from place to place, never focusing but searching for something, someone… Presumably her. They didn't react to anything however, the pupils always staying the same size. A strange thing to notice, maybe it was because she was searching for some sign of his blindness.

Standing there, she felt uneasy, now fully aware just why he had always hidden himself when the time came for his wounds to be treated. In the face of her silence, he somehow managed to huff in amusement, somehow able to find something, somewhere about the current situation to tickle his sense of humour:

"I know it must be bad… Nathalie's being nice to me."

"God, Adrien…" Finally, she managed to conquer her shock and utter a few words. "You need to see a doctor."

"Can't." There was a certain teasing smile on his face, trying to reassure her. "I'm blind."

"No jokes! This is-" She cleared her throat, trying to regain some of her composure. "Are you in any pain?"

"It's..." His voice trailed off, looking for the right words. "Not as bad as it was. I think it's more of a case of an eyesore than sore eyes now."

He offered her a soft smile, no doubt intended to provide some reassurance. It fell a little short however. She couldn't have been more than a couple of feet away but it was still apparent that he couldn't see her. There had been some hope whilst he'd worn his blindfold, which both the young man and the assistant had assured them was to keep the wounds clean, that once it was removed he would be largely back to normal. Marinette hesitated, unwilling to spend too long dwelling on the matter for fear of making her friend feel awkward. It proved difficult however for her to so however, not before she knew the extend of the damage:

"Can you see anything?"

"Not as much as I'd like to… It's like looking through foggy glass. It is getting better though."

Without giving any warning, the young man got to his feet. He strained slightly as he did so, gritting his teeth, evidently in some pain. He moved slowly, cautious. Already, it was an improvement. He had spent the first two of the five days since his attack largely bedridden. It had been roughly at the same time that the heroes had started to go in search of his attackers that he had managed to gather enough strength to start walking around the mansion unassisted. She couldn't help but note the cuts which littered his bare chest and back. Many of them had stitches. Given that he refused point blank to go to a doctor, the only one likely to have preformed the procedure was Nathalie. Evidently, she had some hidden talents which none of them had been aware of. He must have suffered terribly… Was all that she could think in those few moments as she watched him, uneasily make his way over to the windowsill.

He stayed there, his gaze fixing something on the other side of the glass. He seemed lost like that for a while, causing his friend to hesitate between coming closer and leaving him be. Right now, she struggled with being around him. The attack had changed her friend and not, in her opinion, for the better. She found him to be quiet and often distant. When he wasn't, he was inevitably fretting about their well-being. Now, a sorrow seemed to have come over him as he stared out over a world which he could no longer see:

"I take it you didn't have any luck." He spoke eventually, his voice quiet.

"I'm afraid not." She didn't even attempt to disguise the lack of success that they had encountered. "It's like they vanished into thin air."

"We should be so lucky..." Plagg declared, perched on his partner's shoulder.

"Maybe you scared them off." Marinette's suggestion was more of a joke than anything else.

"I scared them off with how easily I got my butt handed to me maybe..."

Marinette found herself unsure whether to laugh or not. There was some sense of harsh reality which seemed to reflect how he had suffered at the hands of his assailants. Equally, there was something about his tone which resembled that of a joke. On balance, his friend decided to opt for the more secure option and remain serious. She came a little closer however, reminding him that he wasn't alone. It was a fact that whilst she was sure he was aware deep down, the young woman was certain that he needed to be reminded of from time to time. He reached out, hand fumbling slightly. She helped him, placing hers over his rough and somewhat callused knuckles so that he knew where she was. He shifted slightly so that he could hold on properly.

It was a somewhat peculiar habit that his current condition had caused him to develop. He would grab at people. It had become clear that personal boundaries had disappeared as far as he was concerned. The urge to touch seemed to be a powerful one. The target no longer seemed to matter all that much be it her, Nino, Alya or even Chloe and Nathalie, Adrien's natural reaction was often to reach out and try and gain some form of physical contact. The change had taken her by surprise. Whilst he'd never been terribly good with respecting physical boundaries anyway, it was still striking. She'd quickly associated it with simply longing for some confirmation that it wasn't just him alone in the dark. They brought some comfort, acting as anchors of sorts. They gave him a sense of his surroundings. At least, he knew they were there. He wasn't as isolated as he perhaps periodically felt.

"We'll get them..." She found herself promising, despite all of the failure they had encountered so far.

"I hope that you're right Ladybug… I hope that you're right."

He was somewhat more sombre than she'd been expecting. It made him somewhat easier to deal with. Marinette risked giving the young man's kwami a brief glance. Much like his human partner, he was quiet, preoccupied. It was perhaps even more noticeable where Plagg was concerned as he was usually rather hard to ignore. Even Camembert wasn't having quite the same effect as it usually did on him. She doubted that the strange little cat creature would be himself until his partner had recovered and that was already shaping out to be a lengthy and painful process. The young man's dull eyes rested on her for a while. Although they were incapable of making out her features, he still seemed to get some form of comfort from fixing her.

Letting out a soft sigh, Marinette got to her feet. She moved slowly, pulling away from Adrien for a few seconds. The young man frowned, evidently somewhat confused but none-the-less reluctant to question her. In practice, the blue-eyed woman didn't travel all that far. She simply went over to her bed and picked up the sheet from the bed. It struck her just how thin the fabric seemed to be given that they were in the middle of a winter which had seen more than a few snowflakes fall. It must have been mild compared to the mountains of Tibet was all that she could think to explain it. Folding the fabric a couple of times, she brought it over to her friend and dropped it over his shoulders. He accepted it tentatively, pulling it tight with his free left hand. He must have been chilly. One of the pipes, somewhere, was leaking apparently. Despite numerous pleas, it was still to be repaired. Until it was, the mansion was a rather frigid place to be.

Determined to lighten the atmosphere at least slightly, Marinette took a seat next to her friend. Since all of this had begun, their dating had come to a rather abrupt end, at least in the practical sense. In his current state, Adrien had been too weak to leave the mansion making going for a drink or a walk impossible. More than that however, a sort of barrier had been erected between the two of them (she wasn't entirely sure which one of them was responsible). They had gone back to being colleagues, teammates but the affection, whilst no doubt still present was no longer expressed so openly. She found herself missing the interaction, missing him. Yes, he had changed but the young man she had gotten to know was someone whom she had just been beginning to get used to. She cared for both the person who had been (and perhaps some part of her still hoped would return) and the man he had become. Gently, she reached out and took his hand, fingers gently brushing against his rough knuckles. He tensed up, as if the gesture surprised him. His eyes flicked around desperately in an attempt to locate her.

"It's okay Adrien." She paused, looking inside herself for the words which had once come so easily to Ladybug. "I get that you're worried and that you're worrying about us but we're not helpless. We will stop them. Just like we stopped Hawk Moth."

"I just wish that we knew who they were..." Unable to locate her, he opted for simply glancing in the direction of the window once more. "There's something about this which doesn't sit too well on me..."

"Like what?" She frowned, concerned. It was the first time he'd mentioned such a sentiment to her.

"I don't know..." He let out a shaky shy, speaking quietly under his breath. "It's just a bad feeling. It's like something's coming or maybe it's out there already – I don't know – it's eating away at me."

Marinette didn't know what to say. She could only stare at him, unable to make sense of the words which had come out of her friend's mouth. He was speaking French. So actually understanding what he had said wasn't the issue in itself. It was trying to comprehend the meaning behind them. It was enough to send a shiver down her spine, a strange sense of dread making its home in the pit of her stomach. She could only stare at the young man. He didn't seem to be aware of just how his words had troubled her. In truth, he himself seemed to be distracted. His eyes, blind to the rest of the world, remained fixed outside, scanning the city as if there was something out there, which despite everything, he could still see. For all her looking, Marinette was unable to spot what could possibly have captivated his attention out there.

Finally, he turned back to face her, a soft smile on his features as if the past couple of minutes hadn't even happened. The clash was such that it left her utterly speechless:

"It's probably nothing. I shouldn't be troubling you with it."

"Adrien..." She started, in truth, unsure where to go with it.

"It's fine Marinette..." His voice was firm enough for her to know that he was unlikely to change his mind on the matter.

She let out a soft sigh, unwilling to argue any further. There had been enough stresses for today. For the time being, she found herself wanting to curl up and just forget about everything. It was hard to put on a brave face for her parents. They could see that something had changed. Naturally, Adrien had been the first suspect. She assured them that he wasn't to blame. It was school, she had claimed, projects and everything else was just accumulating, piling on stress which she struggled to cope with. In truth, she wasn't entirely sure how long she would be able to keep this up. Life had become a good deal more complicated in the space of a decade… It was an issue that she didn't dwell on for too long. There was no need to heap even more troubles and guilt on her friend's shoulders, he was struggling to cope as it was, she could tell that much.

Instead, Marinette offered him a gentle smile. It was something that she found herself doing even subconsciously. It never even registered that such gestures and expressions would for the most part be lost on a man whose vision remained so badly damaged. Instead, she reached out once more to take his hand in both of hers, providing what she hoped would be some comfort. It was enough to finally tear the set of green eyes away from the window and to get them once more searching for her.

"Mom and dad would like you to come around for dinner sometime." She informed the young man, his eyebrows raising with surprise. "When you're ready of course."

"What did you tell them?" He sounded concerned. As if she would ever tell her parents about the secret of the miraculouses.

"That you'd had an accident. Remember? We've been pedalling that story for the best part of a week now."

"Oh! Right! Sorry..." His voice trailed off for a moment before he explained himself. "I guess I lose track of things sometimes."

Cooped up in here, it wasn't much of a surprise. They'd taken their turns in guarding him during the early days. It had been enough to let them know that he wasn't exactly active at the moment, in any sense of the word. They hadn't exactly been expecting someone who'd taken such a beating to be preforming cartwheels the very next day. It was the lack of intellectual stimulation which was more of a concern. He seemed to spend a lot of his time wrapped up in his own world. A part of that was understandable given that he'd had one of his senses – perhaps the one he relied most heavily on - torn away from him violently. That didn't quite explain the reluctance to listen to the television, radio or even to engage in regular conversation. Eager to change things after the best part of a week, Marinette was largely fed up with such an attitude.

"That settles it then." She declared adamantly with enough confidence in her voice to surprise even her. "As soon as you're better, you're most definitely coming round. Papa will make you one of his special vegetarian tartiflettes. Don't worry, you'll love it."

For a moment, she thought that Adrien might be about to argue. His mouth was certainly open, ready for him to speak. Strangely though, he seemed to think better of it. Marinette didn't drop her guard, preparing counter-arguments should he refuse to comply with her invitation/demand. If anything, the young man seemed to be thoroughly confused. Such an act of kindness, which was only to be expected of her parents really, appeared to have taken him completely off-guard. In a way, that suited the bakers' daughter's purposes rather perfectly. It meant that he was less likely to debate the issue having had less of an opportunity to think it over and come up with excuses why he couldn't attend. Finally, stuttering slightly, he spoke uneasily:

"Sure… Why not?"

"Great! Hey, there will be macaroons."

"And Camembert?!" Plagg peeped up suddenly.

"I'm sure we can work something out." Marinette gave the kwami a wink.

She knew that her boyfriend had a sweet-tooth. He had never been very good at hiding it, if he'd ever tried in the first place. The prospect of patisseries from Paris' greatest baker was enough to cause him to smile, even just slightly. It was progress, much more was going to be required. She managed to get him chatting. It wasn't about anything serious but perhaps their conversation was all the more pleasant for it. It was escapism of the simplest order. That being said, it was much needed. It allowed them both to relax, even just for a few moments. Asides from Tikki's soothing presence, she forgot about the weight of the earrings which she now bore. Those people who had attacked Adrien and started all of this drifted into insignificance. It was just the two of them, chatting idly about old times. She even managed to get a couple of laughs out of him. As many fond memories as they both might have had of their days as Cat Noir and Ladybug, it was a burden which took its toll in more ways than one.

Their brief moment of tranquillity was broken only some time later when Nathalie passed by, glancing into the room as she did so.

Adrien turned his head, no doubt picking up on the sound of her heels clicking against the cold marble floor. To her credit, the assistant didn't do any more than briefly look in before continuing on her way. No doubt she was curious to see if their guest was still there, perhaps wondering if she intended to stay for dinner. Even after the woman had gone, leaving them in peace once more, they didn't recommence talking. Her presence had been enough to remind them that time was marching on and that they would soon be needing to go their separate ways.

"Nathalie!" Adrien called after the assistant.

"Yes?" Her head popped in the door a few seconds later.

"If you're free, could you help bandage me up please?" The young man requested politely.

"Of course..." She entered the room.

"So..." Marinette got to her feet. "See you tomorrow? And you'll let me know about dinner, right?"

"Of course. Goodnight, Marinette."

"Goodnight..."

She left them a few moments later, more than capable of letting herself out. The puzzled look on Nathalie's face spoke for itself. Whilst she could no doubt put some of it together. It was out of character enough for the way her employer had been been behaving these past few days for her to find it odd. True to herself however, the woman's first instinct wasn't to question. Instead, she went diligently back to work. Adrien sat there placidly. His wounds were healing well, enough so that he no longer winced or tensed up at the slightest contact. He was distracted, that much was clear. His attention was focused towards the street. A mixture of his condition and the darkness which had fallen made it inconceivable that he could see anything but the older woman knew full-well just what or rather whom he was hoping to catch a glimpse of, even the most fleeting.

"Dinner?" She eventually asked, not even attempting to conceal her surprise or even her scepticism.

"Haven't you ever loved someone?" The young man spoke in a hushed tone.

"Love is a very strong word Adrien… Just you remember that."

Marinette made her way through the streets. She had contemplated taking a shortcut over the roofs under the guise of Ladybug but thought better of it. There was no point drawing unneeded attention to herself. That and after having to maintain the transformation for the best part of a day, Tikki could probably do with the rest. Instead, she continued to walk. She did so with her hands in her pockets, trying to shelter them from the cold air which nipped harshly at her extremities. She sniffed briefly. It was impossible for her not to think back to some of the things which Adrien had said. They weighed heavily on her. A permanent nagging at the back of her mind caused her to shiver as she walked along. It was impossible to forget just what he had said.

Could something actually be out there? Something else?

"What is it Marinette?" Tikki questioned, her head popping out from the bag.

"What Adrien said… Do you think that something worse might be coming?"

"I don't know." The small creature confessed. "I wouldn't normally question a Cat Noir – much less a guardian's judgement – but he was pretty shaken up. He's still human. He will be frightened. Fear can twist your mind..."

"So, you don't think we should worry?" Despite knowing it was fool's hope, Marinette couldn't help but sound enthusiastic.

"That's not what I said..." The kwami shook her head negatively. "We need to keep our guard up… We don't know what is up there."

Not a comforting thought… Marinette raised her gaze to the dark sky, silently praying that it was just fear and that the next few days would be brighter.

 ** _/_**

 ** _Thanks for the review and happy (belated) New Year!_**


	14. Moments of peace

It was a strange evening when it was the doorbell which actually brought some calm into the Dupain-Cheng household.

In truth, Marinette wasn't entirely sure just how things had gotten into such a confused panic to start off with. Somehow, they had all been able to lose track of just what the time was despite the fact that it had been the knowledge that time was running out which had been plaguing them and building the entire state of almost frenzied panic which had gripped the family. It was a combination of things really. The arrival of Adrien Agreste really shouldn't have taken any of them by surprise given that she'd invited him the best part of a week ago. Just how it had managed to creep up on them, she couldn't have said. All she knew was that she'd been given a text by Nino to let her know that he'd dropped off the young man and they could expect his company within a few moments.

So it was, they found themselves tidying up as quickly as humanly possible. The kitchen being a mess wasn't much of a problem, it was the rest of the house they were concerned about. It was hardly dusty but nerves caused them to overcompensate, trying to ensure that there wasn't a speck of dust anywhere. Ordinarily, Marinette might have said it wasn't necessary. As far as she was aware, Adrien wasn't the sort to get worked up over some dust. In all honesty, she doubted he would even notice. Still, they had decided to clean up. Everything had to perfect it would seem. For some reason, she hadn't imagined there be this much trouble over her boyfriend coming around. With Luka, she could understand it. He was her first, it was natural that her parents would be a bit nervous and uncertain (just as she was). She didn't know why tonight was different. It just was.

Brushing herself down, the young woman checked herself over quickly in the mirror. She brushed a couple of strands of her hair, ensuring that she looked presentable before heading to the door. She didn't hesitate. It was rude to keep him waiting outside after all.

She found herself faced with the familiar and handsome features of Adrien Agreste. The young man offered her a gentle smile, a bottle of red wine tucked cautiously under his arm. His eyes met hers. She knew that she was a blur, a watercolour as he had put it. He'd told Alya it was like looking at an impressionist painting. Dabs of color and odd shapes which all seemed to fuse together just enough for him to be able to make out shapes and identify just what he was looking at. Equally importantly, the scarring around his eyes was thankfully beginning to fade away. His other wounds were healing up just as well apparently. At any rate, he obviously felt well enough to attend a dinner at her place with her parents in attendance. That naturally implied that he felt this could all proceed normally and without any hints of supernatural interference.

"Hey! Good to see you!" She greeted him enthusiastically, trying not to let any of the panic which had existed a few moments ago show.

"You too… Sorry I'm late. We got held up in traffic."

"It's fine. Come on in."

She gave him a gentle peck on the cheek as he entered. An extension of the typical French bise, adapted for the status of "boyfriend". He smiled timidly. Like a boy getting acknowledged by his childish crush, a blush crept across his features. She took his coat, hanging it up cautiously. Plagg dared to hover in the open for a few seconds, glancing around as if to ensure that nothing in the building had changed since the last time he was here.

Her parents were quick to come over to greet them. It stuck Marinette that he appeared to be slightly awkward. Initially, she passed it off as simply being due to his injuries which whilst definitely far better, continued to cause him some trouble. After a few seconds of reflection however, it dawned on her that this would be a first for him. As far as she was aware, he'd never had another girlfriend and much less been invited round for dinner by her family. Her parents were good and sensitive people, she had already briefed them about the situation – well, an edited version of the situation at any rate – requesting that they be careful as far as the young man was concerned given that he was still very much fragile. Perhaps, it would take a few moments before he was entirely comfortable with the situation. He met them none-the-less with a smile, giving both a bise.

"It's nice to see you again." Sabine declared as they guided the young man out of the narrow entrance and towards the more spacious living-room.

"You too…" Adrien's voice trailed off as he apparently struggled to think of an appropriate way to continue to statement. "It's nice to finally get out for a change."

"I can imagine." It was her father who answered. "Marinette told us about your accident, it sounded like you were lucky."

"I was but the worst is behind me now."

Marinette recognized Adrien's statement as his own way of politely signalling that this wasn't a subject that he wanted to continue discussing. She knew that he was far from comfortable concealing the truth from her parents. It was a little too close for lying for his liking and dragged him perilously close to breaking one of his vows. She guided him over to the couch, inviting him to sit whilst her parents brought up some snacks. She took the bottle of wine from him, aware that it was likely to be of the finest quality but not something that he himself had picked out given his little knowledge about all things to do with alcohol. Her parents appreciated the gift, telling the young man that he didn't need to go to any trouble. He assured them that it wasn't.

He was acting the way that he had been taught to by his father: the model son, in every respect. If there was a textbook about social events, Marinette reckoned that her boyfriend had likely been made to read it, substituting for any real experience. She wondered if he was nervous. It could be difficult to tell with him. Masking his emotions was something that he was surprisingly good at. He would pretend that everything was alright or at least not tell them when he was uncomfortable. Asides from being quiet, she couldn't see any immediate signs of him being painfully nervous.

She sat next to him, carefully intertwining her fingers with his, giving them a slight squeeze. He gave her a brief glance before offering the young woman a gentle smile, letting her know that he appreciated the gesture. In her mind, she wanted this to be as calm and natural as possible. That wasn't a given considering everything that the two of them knew had occurred and the exact same things which they desperately needed to conceal from her parents. Tonight was a double exercise: she wanted to get Adrien out and reconnected with the real world, even if it was just her family in their little home and also to try and convey the image to said family that their relationship was entirely normal and healthy. Dinners were a part of that, weren't they? Sometimes her life was so strange that she herself ending up wondering.

"So, I see that Agreste is back on top of the fashion world." Sabine started, evidently trying to find a good subject to start the conversation off with.

"Yeah. Somehow… I had literally nothing to do with it." Adrien was modest but perhaps not wrong. "There are some great people who managed to save the company. I'm just the face, really… I see your bakery's still going strong."

"Sure is."

The conversation was somewhat unnatural. Both groups threaded carefully. There was much which could possibly upset the young man: his family, his past, his accident… The first few minutes were always going to be awkward. With his eyes still blurry, she knew that he couldn't make out much of his surroundings. He'd told them it was like a watercolour. Shapes and forms and increasingly features. At least he wasn't trapped in the dark. Marinette studied the young man in silence for a few moments. She watched him, taking note of the progress that he had made. It was clear that he actually knew where those around him were standing. He would turn his head to face them, so as to face whoever was speaking to them. That was nothing new. He'd been basing himself off of their voices, listening to where they were. Now those, his gaze was following. A sure sign that he could make them out.

Whether nor not he could actually distinguish the gentle and encouraging smiles that her parents were giving him, she was unable to say. She loved her parents. In the space of a few minutes, they seemed to have been able to grasp that they needed to be careful with him. He was made out of glass in some respects. He was nervous. She could tell that much, no doubt fearing the repercussions of putting one foot out of line. His interactions with his own family had been… Different, to that which she had ever experienced with her own. It was natural that he would be a bit lost.

"Thank you for the wine Adrien but Marinette told us that you don't drink?" Sabine had four glasses but currently only three were filled.

"I don't." He shook his head. "Not alcohol."

"So what would you like to drink?"

"Just some water would be fine, thank you."

"And you're a vegetarian?" It was Tom who spoke this time.

"Yeah. I developed some funny eating habits in China and I haven't been able to shake them off." He shrugged his shoulders in a non-apology.

"Well, it sounds like you've chosen the healthy route."

Adrien simply smiled softly. Whilst he still refused point blank to eat any meat or to drink alcohol, the young man was at least beginning to relax a little where some of his other restrictions had been put in place (namely where sweets were concerned). Of course, there was no saying how he behaved when the rest of them weren't around. She suspected that he was probably still thoroughly rooted in the routine which had grown accustomed to over the course of a decade. It would take more than a couple of months to break him of such habits. He'd even gotten back to his exercise routine – albeit slightly more relaxed given that he wasn't 100% yet. Soon enough though, Marinette was confident that he would be back to normal or at least the new normal.

Tonight was a part of that. She wanted to remind him that this wasn't Tibet. The life that he had lived there had been a harsh one. In her heart, whilst Adrien had assured her that he wasn't to blame, Marinette couldn't help but feel that somewhere along the line, Master Fu had made a terrible mistake. The fourteen year old should have been given more time to heal, not flown away to some abandoned temple on the side of a mountain. The young man who had returned wasn't quite right. Whether he had always been that way, simply deteriorated over time, concealed the matter from the old man or it was his death which had brought things to a head, Ladybug couldn't have said but he wasn't the same. These days since the attack had brought that much home to all of them. Hopefully, tonight they could relax and try to get things back to normal.

Sabine came over handing them each their glasses. They raised them, to what, Marinette wasn't entirely certain. A better future? She didn't question, obliging with a broad smile. There was a clink. Adrien was smiling, she supposed that meant that part of this was working.

The conversation became a bit easier afterwards. It flowed more naturally. They didn't go into anything too serious but that was for the best in her opinion. The more light-hearted things stayed, the greater the chances of Adrien actually relaxing a little were. There was more than a handful of things which might upset him that they could talk about. Thankfully, her parents seemed to be good at spotting them. They told him stories. Brought up back up to date about some of the things that he had missed around Paris. They got him to laugh. Something which had proved difficult to achieve since he had been attacked. It wasn't something that he was putting on either, there was a genuine warmth behind the action. A bright spark seemed to settle in behind his still slightly bloodshot eyes. It was enough to allow his friend to think that a part of him might just have returned to them. It was a side of the young man that she had sorely missed.

"What about me?" Plagg, seemingly unable to contain himself any longer whispered about half way through the meal.

"What did I say about keep your head down, huh?" Adrien growled lowly as a warning. It was a good thing that her parents were in the kitchen preparing the dessert.

"It's not my fault… My stomach needs food." The kwami turned to his partner, big green eyes resting upon him.

"Relax. You know where my room is, right?" Marinette interrupted the complaint before it became too loud. "Tikki's up there and there's some Camembert just waiting for you."

"Thanks Marinette!"

Without saying another word, the kwami flew off like a bullet in the direction of the young woman's room. Both followed him with their gaze for a moment until he fazed through the wall and was no longer visible. Adrien let out a bemused sigh, shaking his head slightly. She smiled slightly. Whilst she had never spent all that much time with Plagg, she knew that unlike Tikki, he could be a handful at times ranging from a nuisance to some of his actions being downright dangerous. That and having to cater for a being with a bottomless stomach and a craving for Camembert couldn't be all that pleasant to deal with on a day to day basis. He'd been quieter during the period that his partner was injured but these past few days seemed to have returned to his usual self. Encouraging, she supposed.

"You didn't have to do that. I fed him before we came out." He turned to her after a few seconds.

"Relax. It's no trouble-" She assured him with a gentle smile. "-and I know that kwami of yours is a floating stomach."

"Do you ever not think about others?" There was a slightly teasing tone to his question.

"Sometimes..." She confessed, heat rising to her cheeks as she averted her gaze. "I can be selfish and petty just like everyone else."

"Maybe… But never for long, never enough to cause damage." He hesitated for a moment before adding. "Thank you for inviting me tonight."

"It's not a problem. Mom and dad have been wanting to get to know you and I just wanted to spend some time with my boyfriend."

She was bold in using the term. Their relationship was still somewhat confusing to her. Whilst they were dating, there was still something of a barrier which seemed to exist between the two of them. It was paper thin but none-the-less present. To this day, she still hadn't quite been able to penetrate it. Perhaps she'd been a bit bold that night she'd tried to kiss him (her memories were vague but she knew she'd failed). He was still fragile. Somehow, she still felt closer to Luka than she did to Adrien. If he'd never been in a relationship before then all of this would seem confusing. She couldn't help but think that it had never posed much of a problem for Cat Noir, he'd always been eager to get together with Ladybug. Yet another reminder that ten years had passed and that things had changed.

There was something behind that soft and gentle smile which he gave her however which caused her not to abandon hope. It was as if a piece of the fourteen year old she had once known was trying to break out and return to her. Maybe, more time and effort were required to chip away at the man and discover what truly lay beneath.

Her parents emerged a few seconds later carrying a warm galette des rois. Adrien raised his eyebrows, perhaps he had not been expecting such a treat. Her parents were intent on pleasing the young man, making a good impression. Not that a lot of work was required to do so. As far as she was aware, he thought quite happily of them – perhaps because he struggled not to make comparisons with his own family. He'd been happy at some point, that much was clear in the photos that she'd seen of the boy with his mother. Those days were long gone. Now his parents were no longer in his life and he had only scars both physical and emotional to remind him of them. There was a strangely childish joy about the prospect of a galette it would seem. He confessed to not having had one since he was eight.

As it turned out, nobody was crowned king that night. The fève was still somewhere in the pastry and frangipani it would seem. So, they invited him round for the following day to finish it. To Marinette's surprise but not displeasure, he actually accepted. It would seem that time in the Dupain-Cheng household could do more than just a little good for the young man. She smiled softly, content with just how things had and were playing out.

"That almost felt… I don't know." Adrien spoke quietly by the door, ready to leave and go home. "Normal?"

"Maybe that's just what you needed?" She suggested, her voice soft.

"I'd like to think so." His smile was as soft. "Thank you Marinette."

"You're welcome. Anytime."

There was a warmth between the two of them which she hadn't felt in quite some time. The feeling that her friend was still in there. Marinette wasn't too sure what to say or do in the current circumstance or if it would simply be best if she was quiet. There was something behind Adrien's eyes, a tender affection that she had only ever seen a handful of times before. Curiously, the first was when he had left her that night. The sorrow had been immeasurable but there had been a feeling of true affection directed towards her. Then there had been when he had found her again in the rain. This time, although the skin around his eyes was a painful reminder of what was out there, lurking somewhere. She smiled back, wondering if this might be a good time to give him a little kiss. An odd dilemma: she didn't want to make things awkward by seeming too eager but neither did she want to appear cold.

The notion was disturbed when her parents appeared moments later. They had boxed the galette and brought it in the form of a plastic bag. Outside, Chloe was already waiting. She would ensure that Adrien made it home alright and didn't run into any trouble on the way. They would talk later. Via text or maybe even on the phone but it wouldn't be the same.

"Thank you for having me."

"Our pleasure Adrien." Sabine declared giving him a warm smile.

"You're welcome any time." Tom added gleefully.

He smiled, bidding them farewell. Before leaving however, he left her with a parting gift of sorts. A kiss on the cheek. It was nothing too deep or meaningful; a simple show of affection. It earned a blush. She found herself too surprised to even respond. Instead, she just stared. Even her parents' reaction was something that she didn't take notice of. There was a time, when she would have screamed with glee. Now, she was simply too stunned to react. The time it took her to pull herself together and realize just what was going on. He was gone. Heading back towards the car that was waiting for him and disappearing into the night.

Marinette stayed by the door, waving goodbye as her friend climbed into black limo. The chill of the night time air barely even registered. Paris, tonight, seemed to be both warmer and drier.


	15. Taken

"Ladybug!"

Someone was calling out her name.

It was the first thing that she'd been aware of in what felt like quite a while. The young woman felt rather a lot more like sleeping than answering. In truth, she wasn't even entirely sure just who the panicked shouts belonged to. They seemed distant. The world itself seemed to be somewhat faint. Even thinking was a difficult challenge. Something was most definitely wrong. Her eyelids fluttered open or was it closed? She couldn't have said. Everything seemed to have become surreal. It was almost as if she had somehow managed to slip into a dream. Time and space both seemed to have lost their meaning.

A dull pain served to remind her that she was both alive and awake. She groaned as it became more acute serving to draw her back into the real world. Finally, with what seemed like an unnatural bit of effort, she managed to open her eyes. For some reason however, her mind still wasn't quite capable of processing just what her eyes were showing her. She just stayed there, wherever she was. Time had lost its meaning. She was trapped in that strange place somewhere between consciousness and being asleep.

Unable to focus on the present, her mind cast itself back into the past, trying desperately to make sense of what was going on.

Everything was a blur. She was Ladybug, not Marinette. That was one of the few things that she was certain of… Try as she might, she was only capable of recalling brief segments of just what had occurred. None of the details were present. It was only flashes that came back to her. She'd been swinging. There was an alley. She was pretty sure that she was still in it. Something had happened. Even in her current state, that much seemed obvious. There had been a sharp pain and she had gone flying. That was where her memory ended. She tried her best to dig a little deeper and to locate some manner of explanation for what had befallen her. For that matter, she wasn't entirely sure just what situation she was currently in. That would probably be the place to start. She needed to try and make sense of her surroundings. It took an impossible amount of effort for her to look out of her eyes. She had been correct. She was still in the alley. Something was different however: wrong.

It was only when she felt her hair flicking around her face that it finally twigged that she was upside down. That single realisation was enough to enable her to finally snap out of whatever state of semi-consciousness she'd been trapped in and realize just where she currently was. Her body began to register pain rather abruptly. The worst of it was coming from her ankle. Dizzily, she managed to look up, down? She really didn't know how to qualify it given that her feet were currently located above her head. The world was spinning but she was able to make out her right leg, being suspended in the air, a thick wire running around her ankle. For a few moments, all that she was capable of doing was staring. Somehow unable to process just what the snare was doing there and how it had lead to her being in this position.

Becoming aware of her current situation did have the slight benefit of informing her just why the blood was no longer reaching her foot. She managed to muffle a cry of pain as her body informed her that this wasn't a position that she was meant to be in. Her instinct was probably a foolish one. She tried kicking in order to free herself. It only served to strain her muscles. The pain increasing as the snare tightened. Still dazed, it was impossible for her to think clearly about how to get out of the situation. She found herself panicking, struggling increasingly frantically in an attempt to free herself.

"Ladybug!" The voice seemed closer this time. It was soft, concerned, caring.

She didn't know just who it was until she glanced to her left and found herself looking straight into a pair of bright green eyes. For a moment, they were foreign to her. She couldn't place them. They did seem to stand out against the darkness. It was plain to read that whoever they belonged to was worried, she was now their only focal point. She knew who it was. The name was slow to come but she could at least feel some comfort from their presence. She allowed herself to relax slightly as she hung there uselessly, confident that a rescue of one kind or another was on the way. Despite everything, the young woman managed to give him a gentle smile, trying to let him know that it was alright and that he didn't need to panic. The name came back to her suddenly, she whispered it softly:

"Adrien..."

"Easy there Bugaboo… I'm going to get you down. Don't struggle."

His words were soft, calming. They were what she wanted to hear. Informing her that everything was going to be alright. He would ensure that it was. She took a deep breath, managing to relax to the best of her ability. He rose up using his staff so as to be nearer the snare which had got her trapped. Unable to hold back her curiosity, she strained her neck to look up at him to see what the young man was doing. For the time being, he was simply inspecting the trap. He was cautious, toying with the wire for a few seconds, seeing if he might he able to loosen it. A second later, his staff shrunk, bringing him back down to her level. His eyes ran over her body for a few moments, searching for something.

"Where's your yoyo?"

"I dropped it..." That much came back to her rather painfully. "Why?"

"I'm going to have to use cataclysm but if I do that you'll fall. I'm not sure I could catch you in time." His attention was now focused on the alleyway, no doubt trying to spot her signature weapon. "Don't worry, I'll be right back."

He darted off to somewhere beneath her, she guessed. She could actually remembering letting go of the yoyo. Her arms had flailed around for a few seconds desperate to try and grab a hold of anything which presented itself in order to prevent herself from being yanked up into the air. Whilst conceivably it could have been catapulted quite some distance in her panic, it was most likely simply lying down there on ground. Relaxing or at least not panicking whilst hanging upside down wasn't an easy activity. As the blood rushed to her head which continued to ache and spin, she found herself wondering if she might be about to lose consciousness. It was something that she tried not to dwell on, as she spun around slowly.

With every passing moment, the feeling that something wasn't quite right was only getting worse. She was in no state to give herself an accurate medical assessment. The one thing that she could think was that things should have been getting better. The pain should have been growing increasingly duller as opposed to more acute and the world should not have been this dark. It most definitely shouldn't have required so much effort for her to both stay awake and to continue to think in an almost coherent manner. She didn't know where Cat Noir had gone. It felt like it was taking him forever to carry out such a simple task as locating her misplaced yoyo. As the blood continued to flow to her head, she closed her eyes in an effort to block out the rest of the world around her and to somehow make the current situation more bearable. How had this even happened?! A few seconds later, she was aware of a familiar and comforting presence by her side. She turned to face the familiar dark figure of Cat Noir. Using her yoyo, he carefully took aim at a nearby chimney. It would seem that it's magic worked even for him as he managed to wrap it around the bricks before handing it to her.

"You're going to have to hold on tight, okay Ladybug? Don't let go."

"Okay..." She managed to mutter, only just conscious.

Marinette did her best to hold on, wrapping the string around her hands. She knew that it would take her weight. It was almost indestructible after all. Her main fear was that she was too weak to keep holding on and that she would let go, falling to the ground. She could likely survive the impact as Ladybug but it was still something that she would much rather not put to the test. Cat Noir was quick to climb back up to the snare, examining it carefully as he prepared to cut her free. He gave her a warning, loud and audible so that she had some time to brace herself. She did so to the best of her abilities, clinging tightly to the string. Her muscles complained as she tensed up abruptly. She heard the cry of "cataclysm!" which seemed to echo throughout her ears. She took a deep breath, only too aware of what was going to happen.

She was in free-fall.

Panic was instinctive. She clung to the string of her yoyo for dear life. She reminded herself again and again that it would bear her weight, it had done endless times before hand and would do this time. It would probably be more coherent for her to worry about whether or not the chimney would take her weight. She just had to hold on. If it slipped through her fingers, then all that she could look forwards to was crashing to the ground. In a split second, the rope tightened, the slack disappearing. She would swing, she could feel it coming. She held onto the rope. At least, she was upright now. Closing her eyes, Ladybug prayed for it to end. Her body and limbs continued to ache something crazy. She put her legs out in front of her, aware that they were in a narrow alley and that somewhere nearby there were walls and windows which she could collide with. She would much rather take the chance to brace herself and avoid being injured.

Sure enough, she collided roughly with a wall. Her legs acted like springs managing to take the worst of the impact. Still, she winced. The shock-waves running through her body caused her to let out a yelp. Still, she refused to let go clinging to it as if it was her only lifeline. She stayed there, breathing deeply trying her best to recover. Her heart was thundering in her chest from a mixture of fear and shock. In all, only a few seconds must have passed from when Cat Noir had first cried out Cataclysm to where she found herself now. It felt as if she was entirely spent. She had lost track of wherever she was. Sure, she was holding onto her yoyo for dear life but asides from that, she couldn't have said just how high up she was or what was beneath her.

There was a comforting presence behind her, it warmed her back. She recognized it as being Cat Noir. With a sigh, she felt her strength abandon her. She allowed herself to fall backwards, collapsing into his arms. Seeing stars, she allowed herself to drift off into some place distant. She wasn't entirely unconscious as some of his words reached her ears. He was carrying her in his arms. She found warmth there and comfort, groaning softly as she nuzzled into his chest. They had stopped. He shifted, kneeling so that she was closer to the ground. She wanted to speak, to open her eyes and get up and assure him that she was alright. Her body wouldn't permit it however, far more content to simply lie there and breathe slowly than to try and act. He was speaking more loudly now but his words didn't register with her. It was just noise. Only when he shook her slightly did she finally manage to pry open her eyelids and stare up at him:

"Stay with me, Ladybug."

"Adrien…" It seemed to require a disproportionate amount of her strength, she was seeing stars. "Something's wrong."

"Look at me..." He requested in a soft but firm voice.

It was a simple request but one which she struggled to oblige to. Her gaze drifted over him but was unable to focus as the world spun wildly. Her head rolled as she suffered from a powerful bout of dizziness. It was only when Adrien reached out, gently stroking her cheek that she was able to stabilize her gaze somewhat. With the most delicate of touches, he tilted her head upwards so that she was looking at him. He fixed her dead in the eyes. She saw all of the concern behind his orbs. It was plain to see that whatever had happened, it was serious. Marinette didn't know what he could see. Unable to think back clearly, she wasn't even able to say just what had happened. Her best guess was that she had hit her head. That would explain the pain that she felt and the difficulty she had moving.

The young man let out a sigh. He was still holding her closely but used his free hand to do something else. She didn't care to know what, too busy struggling to remain conscious to fret about what Adrien Agreste was doing. She just wanted to sleep. She lay there, breathing deeply as her eyes fluttered closed. Her hand was shaking as she rested it over her chest, taking comfort from the feel of her own heart beating. It took her a few seconds for her to realize that her companion was talking: not to her or to anyone else who was there but to somebody else… She couldn't hear their voice.

"She's hurt… No. Should I move her?- I don't know. I-I don't know what to do… I-"

Adrien let out a shout. It was a mixture of pain and alarm which echoed through the alley. In a flash, he was torn from her. It was enough to pull her out of the state of semi-consciousness that she had been trapped in. The world seemed unreal all of a sudden. It was as if everything was happening at once. There was commotion. Things crashed and people yelled. They were angry, hurt. She strained herself to get up, managing to sit up. The spinning was terrible, even the adrenaline coursing through her system wasn't enough to make things stable. There were two, no three, four… She couldn't even count how many there were. They were all wearing dark clothes. From time to time, she could make out a flash of blonde hair or a familiar glint of bright green eyes. A part of her was still present enough to remind her that she had to do something.

The young man was fighting tooth and nail. His attackers seemed to have taken him by surprise. As strong as he was as Cat Noir, he seemed to be struggling to hold his own against three assailants. They grappled with him, grabbing at his arms in an attempt to subdue him. As soon as he managed to shake one off of him, the other two were waiting and ready to take over. They weren't so much beating him as wrestling with him. He'd lost his staff… Even in her current state, she was able to tell that if she didn't do something, anything, to help, they were going to get the better of him. Gritting her teeth, the young woman fought against her heavy limbs and eyes which were seeing stars. She managed to turn herself over, resting on her knees. Even now, she felt nauseous and was forced to stop and take a few deep breaths for fear of losing consciousness. Adrien was only a feet feet away and yet it seemed like she would never be able to cover them.

She couldn't quite have said what happened next. Something hit her in the face. Already weak, she was thrown backwards and landed roughly against the asphalt. She wouldn't be getting up. That much she was certain of. Seconds or months could have passed, she would have been none-the-wiser. All she could do was lie on her back, starring up at the dark, cloudy sky. There was a dull pain which had spread throughout her entire body. Thinking was an impossibility. Her mind simply wasn't up for the task. Even the fight nearby faded away. If it were possible to be both conscious and unable to process the world around her, she'd somehow found the way to do it. There was some warm liquid which was trickling down the side of her face. It was only when she gasped, her entire body shuddering as she did so that she realized she hadn't taken a breath. She coughed, her muscles tensing up with each new attempt to fill her lungs with oxygen.

Something cut through the air and reached her ears. It was less of a cry and more of a roar, furious like a wild animal. She was aware of two people fighting nearby. There was yet more yelling in a language which she was unable to comprehend. A second later, a body crashed to the ground next to her. It did so with such force that it could have just been thrown from quite some height. It was Cat Noir, he struggled like a madman trying to shake off the three assailants who were currently pinning him down. One grabbed him by the hair, physically grinding his face into the asphalt. The others ensured that he was unable to reach them and land any kicks or punches. Adrien was screaming. It wasn't pain which was the cause so much as rage. The way he lashed around like a madman possessed was unlike anything that she'd ever seen him do before. His words were strange to her. It wasn't a language that she could immediately recognize. It wasn't French or English. He was speaking Chinese, she realized a few seconds later.

Perhaps more surprisingly, they were answering him. Their exchange was heated. The hatred was evident. She didn't need to understand the words to know that they were unlikely to be friendly and affectionate. The young man repeated the same sentence again and again. Screaming at the top of his lungs as he did so. It was a woman's voice which eventually answered him. Somehow, that was enough to shut him up in an instant. He seemed to freeze. A few seconds later, he turned back to face her, green eyes wide with fear:

"Cult of Kahn. They're called the Cult of-!"

He was stopped brutally by one of his masked attackers turning his head sharply, tugging his hair in order to do so. Gritting his teeth, obviously in some pain. He fought back to the best of his ability, thrashing around wildly even if it cost him some stands of golden hair. The stranger only responded by yanking down harder, to such an extent that Marinette was sure that he was about to rip a tuft out as a result. Terror filled his green eyes as they rested on a syringe slowly being brought towards him. He redoubled his efforts to free himself. It was as if the cat somehow took over, causing him to hiss and even spit. Finally, he seemed to be weakening. With a single swift movement, the needle was driven into his neck. Its contents were fed into him. Adrien let out a single desperate cry, aware that he had just lost the battle.

Whatever the liquid was, it was potent. In the space of a few seconds, the young man stopped struggling. His limbs were heavy. He was taking deep breaths. A dark shadow crept into his eyes. It was clear that his head was spinning, a sign that he struggling to remain conscious. Each beat of his heart served to send the liquid coursing ever-faster through his veins. Still, his gaze rested on the face of the stunned Ladybug. Painful regret filled them. He opened his mouth but the words seemed to snag in the back of his throat. Finally, with his eyes fluttering as he struggled to remain conscious. He must have realized what was going to happened, as he managed to utter in a hushed voice:

"It's going to be alright Ladybug. I promise..."

He was gone a few seconds later, perhaps not completely unconscious but none-the-less too weak to resist even in the slightest. The two attackers picked him up, dragging him by the arms whilst a third took his legs. Powerless, Marinette somehow still found the strength to reach out, fingers extending so as to brush against the young man as he was taken away from her. She wanted to call out after them but lacked the strength to do it. A prisoner of her own body, she was unable to help. Some of this felt like it was some sort of nightmare. All she needed to do was wake up and she would find herself either in her bed or at her desk after having worked too hard. There was no way that this could be happening…

Adrien was gone but she wasn't alone.

In the darkness she was trapped in, she found herself looking up to see a stranger. All she could make out was their eyes, coldly fixing her. The rest was hidden behind a mask. She was one of the number who had attacked them. Her clothes made that much obvious. Under other circumstances, the superhero might have tried giving her a glare. Instead of just lying there, staring up into the dark sky and unable to even move in the slightest. It was requiring every ounce of her strength and resolve just to avoid slipping into unconsciousness. Moving was impossible, much less trying to defend herself. Above her, the attacker kneeled down reaching out. In an instant, Marinette realized what they intended to do, to take. Her mind screamed at her, demanding that she do something, panic settling in. It was enough to give her something of a second-wind. Her movements were weak, clumsy and uncoordinated. It was no wonder that they were easily swiped away.

The stranger reached out fingers aiming for her earrings. She strained her neck, ignoring the pain as she attempted her best to get her head away, protesting more vocally. As dazed as she might have been, she was still able to think clearly enough to know that if these strangers managed to grab her miraculous. It could very well mean the end of the world. Another punch to the face was enough to stun her once more. Her head rolled back as she saw stars.

The world seemed to have drifted into a strange inbetween place. With every passing second, she found herself increasingly struggling to stay awake. Her body, in an act of protest to the beating it had just taken was inclined to switch off to allow itself to recover.

Unable to move, she could barely even process the shadow which leaped down from the rooftops above. Something shot through the air in a flash. A heartbeat later there was a scream from her would be attacker. The masked individual staggered backwards, gripping at their forearm. Something had struck them and was now sticking out of their skin. It looked as if it might have been some manner of a knife or maybe a dart. With the world so blurry and faint, Marinette struggled to tell. It didn't seem to matter all that much. All she wanted was to close her eyes and get some much needed sleep.

The strange creature landed near her with the softness of a feather. It moved both quickly and gracefully, wrapping an arm around Ladybug and pulling her in close. With the other, it held a single brightly if somewhat unconventionally coloured feather in between the tips of her fingers, ready to throw it. She didn't speak. Letting out a soft groan, Marinette looked up to see the face of her apparent saviour. Eyes bright pink and the rest of her skin a strange shade of blue… It served to give her something of an otherworldly appearance. She seemed calm, restrained. Her cold gaze rested upon the attacker. The strange creature wrapped her arms around her, pulling the young woman in closer in order to shield her. For a few moments, time seemed to be standing still.

"Go." It was a single word which the stranger hissed out, a simple command.

The word was fading out now. She was vaguely aware that someone was running, running away. The rest was growing darker. The words spoken intended no doubt to comfort her but they were lost becoming nothing more than white noise as she drifted off into some distant place devoid of dreams.


	16. Fractures

Blue eyes stared up at neon lights above.

It had taken her some time to wake up, although she wasn't entirely sure just how long. It was some hours at least, that much she was certain of. It had taken quite a while after initially coming to to realize just where she was. That was to say, a foreign place. The strong odour of antiseptic and overall cleanliness of her surroundings was enough to clue her in rather quickly as to just where she currently found herself. Amazingly, despite her pass-time as one of the heroes of Paris and general clumsiness, she had somehow managed to avoid ever having to come here before this date. She supposed that it was only a matter of time until her luck ran out and she ended up in a bad enough state to warrant a trip to medical professionals as opposed to some ointment out of a pharmacy and some band aids to patch up a few scrapes. The young woman didn't need to know the exact medical details of just what had happened to her to know that it could largely be summed up as a "severe bump to the head". She had been fortunate to avoid surgery.

A brief glance to her right confirmed that she wasn't alone. A familiar face was sitting there, keeping her company. The Dupain-Cheng bakery was exceptionally closed today. All of it's occupants were out. One was a patient at the local hospital and her two parents were visiting, stubbornly ignoring their daughter's claims that she was alright and that they could go home and stop worrying. In truth, she was rather relieved to have them by her side. They provided both familiarity and a feeling of protection that she wasn't sure that she would have found anywhere else on Earth.

It had only been a short while ago that she had managed to muster the strength to even begin contemplating trying to make sense of what had happened. She knew she'd taken a blow to the head the doctor and her parents had spelt that much out to her. It was the rest that had started to come back to her. In truth, right now, she would rather not think back to the events which had lead her to be here. They brought her back into the terrible reality and that terrified her. It wasn't so much what she had lived through. Give it a day or so, she would be right as rain. Adrien however would not be. It had only taken her a few moments to twig that some excuse must have been given as to just what had happened to her. There were no police officers about and not enough of a panic for anyone to be aware of the abduction. Someone had covered for her, come up with some form of excuse. Her friends she guessed, the other miraculous holders were no doubt the ones to be thanked.

Now she waited.

She was only patient because of the medicine, painkillers which had something of a tranquillizing effect on her and in order to prevent her parents from worrying. The feeling of helplessness was a truly terrible one. She knew that out there somewhere, Adrien was being held captive. His captors were merciless. They had demonstrated that much on both occasions they had been so unfortunate as to run into them. The young woman tried not to linger on the matter, telling herself that if she hadn't seen the other miraculous holders at this point then that must have been because they were hunting down their friend. They would rescue him, she repeated to herself as the minutes trickled by. Any moment now, Adrien - perhaps a little battered and bruised – would walk in. He would let her know that he was alright. The danger had passed and that they would be alright.

Her mother squeezed her hand gently, drawing the young woman's attention:

"Are you okay, honey?"

"Better." She forced a weak smile. "It'll teach me for being so clumsy."

"It was an accident Marinette. There was nothing you could have done."

She offered them a soft smile, one which didn't quite manage to hide her pain. It was best that her parents just thought that she'd tripped, fallen backwards and hit the back of her head against the curb. It wasn't entirely a lie; her skull had made contact with asphalt. That was the main reason for her being here. The cut lip was a little more difficult to explain. A result of her stumbling and falling a second time as she tried to get help, that seemed to be the current hypothesis. Naturally, she didn't contradict that version of events, claiming that she couldn't quite remember (again, not entirely a lie, things were decidedly hazy at the moment). Being famed for clumsiness had its advantages. Nobody questioned how it could have happened. At least not yet, perhaps that would come later when she had recovered. For the time being, they were more concerned with her well-being. That suited her just fine.

It was about an hour later when something else occurred to her. She ended up kicking herself for not noticing it sooner. It took a fair amount of self-control to avoid shouting out in concern and alarm. Instead, she had to try and play it cool, non-nonchalant. Although with the benefit of hindsight, she could probably have gotten away with quite a lot without too many questions being asked given that she was suffering from a concussion. Instead, at a seemingly random point in the day, she turned to her parents and questioned in as innocent a manner as possible:

"Where did my earrings go?"

"I don't know." Her mother's reply was honest. "Some of the hospital staff probably took them for safe keeping when you were brought in."

"We can ask around to get them back for you. I know you're fond of them." Her father gave her a gentle and understanding smile. "You used to wear them all the time as a girl."

"Yeah. Yeah I did..."

She tried her best to mask her concern from them. She had to pretend that they were just some cheap pieces of jewellery and not some of the most powerful magical artefacts the world had ever known. Unable to do anything right now, she could only tell herself that her parents were likely correct. It was more comforting that the alternative.

One of the few things that she could recall quite clearly was someone trying to take her miraculous. It was a position that she had been in more times than she cared to count. There had been something else there in the darkness with her. She'd been so close to unconsciousness that it was largely impossible for her to differentiate between reality and her imagination playing tricks on her. The alley was distorted in her mind. Some of what she thought she could recall was no doubt fabrication. Even some of her time spent in this hospital bed, with her head bandaged up seemed unreal. She'd made a mental note to ensure that she protected her brain in the future. They didn't think that she'd have to stay in here all that long, that was perhaps the only good news. Just so that they could ensure that there were no complications and that she was healing properly. A couple of days She had been lucky. Cat Noir hadn't been so fortunate.

It took longer than she had anticipated for Alya to show up. She was even more surprised when it became apparent that she was alone. A quick excuse was given: Nino and Chloe both had arrangements that they couldn't escape until later on. Marinette understood that if that was true, then they'd already escaped and that it was Carapace and Queen Bee who had something else to do. Her friend looked tired. No doubt she'd been out there trying to find Adrien for hours now. The young journalist put on a good act. She smiled softly, no doubt attempting to be as reassuring as possible. She checked that it was okay for her to be here. They greeted her affectionately, letting her come in close to check on the injured patient. It took a fair amount of self-control for Marinette to play dumb, pretend that there wasn't anything more to this than her being clumsy and falling over:

"You really hit your head girl."

"Tell me about it..." She grumbled under her breath. "Are you okay?"

"Am I okay?" Alya chuckled genuinely amused. "I'm not the one who cracked their skull on the asphalt!"

"It's not that bad." She forced a smile, it was a lie but one which she felt compelled to tell.

They chatted for a while. It could have been the medicine or her injury or a combination of both but she felt tired. She found herself more than once beginning to drift off. Her parents and Alya were keeping her company. They chatted when they thought that she was well enough and might need her mind taken off of current matters and were silent, allowing her to rest whilst they remained by her side when she found herself a little weak. They were brilliant. She would have to thank them more thoroughly later when she was better. For the time being, her mind remained elsewhere. With every passing moment, the knowledge that Adrien was gone was only going to become more real.

It took quite some time before she had the opportunity to speak in private with Alya. She'd managed to convince her parents that she was okay and they could head home for the night. She would be okay, the young woman assured them. Hospital visiting hours were coming to a close and whilst they gathered their belongings and went to ask about her earrings, it gave the fox miraculous holder a few brief moments alone with her friend which would enable her to get serious and explain some of the details she dared not speak about in front of her family. She leaned in close to ensure that nobody around could possibly overhear what she had to say. Marinette's heart was in her mouth. Being bedridden was a strange thing. It made it possible for the mind to conjure up all of the worst possible scenarios. She needed at least some of those to be put to rest…

"The others know where Adrien is and your miraculous is safe. We'll tell you more tonight."

She left it at that, unable to explain any further as Mr. and Mrs. Dupain-Cheng came over, eager to say goodnight to their daughter. Marinette forced herself to put on a brave face. The notion of her parents leaving her was not one which she particularly liked the sound of. They provided a primal form of comfort which in her current state she was pained to leave behind. Still, Alya's words had given her some hope: at least they knew where Adrien was. With any luck, they would be planning some manner of rescue mission and would be ready to sweep in and bring him back home. She bid them farewell with a soft smile. In theory, she would be able to go home tomorrow. The doctors were impressed with how she was doing but still wanted to keep an eye on her for the night, at least that was what the nurse had said.

They left, creating something of a painful absence for the young woman. Now, all she could do was wait.

Initially, Marinette had planned to stay awake. If her friends planned to fill her in on what was going on tonight, then they would likely have to sneak in at some point. It was only fitting that she would be awake to great them. She had assumed that she wouldn't sleep that much, if at all. Other thoughts would keep her up, prevent her from being able to rest properly. Instead, whether it was a result of the medicine or that she was still struggling to get over the shock of what had happened, she found herself drifting off into a dreamless sleep.

Without a watch or any nearby clocks, she wasn't able to tell what time it was when something woke her up. She couldn't have said what it was but the hair on the back of her neck and arms was sticking on end. Lying there, she felt that something had changed. A cool atmosphere seemed to have settled in, chilling both the room and its occupant. With a pained groan, the young woman sat up in her bed and glanced around. Initially, her tired eyes failed to pick up on anything in particular. It was the same empty and dull hospital room that she had fallen asleep in. Something had changed though. It was something of a sixth sense inside of her which seemed to whisper to her not to fall asleep and to look again. It took a second for her to scan the place again. Only then did she spot the figure in the corner of the room next to a partly opened window, her features obscured by the shadows which she seemed to be taking shelter in. Instantly, panic set in. Acting on pure instinct, Marinette made a grab for the emergency assistance button that the hospital staff had given her. A commanding female voice however cut her short:

"Don't scream."

The figure stepped out into her view. For a moment, Marinette didn't recognize her. Instead, she saw something of a monster. A strange creature with skin a pale blue hue and eyes violet, bordering on the pink. There was something of an otherworldly aura which seemed to be originating from her. She moved slowly, gracefully, seemingly gliding. Instinctively, the young woman pulled the covers up a little higher in order to shield herself. There was no need however as the intruder stopped several feet short of the bed. She seemed to be content to stand there and fix her, as if she were waiting for something. Curious, the patient frowned. There was something decidedly familiar about this individual. They had met before… But where? If this person was giving her the creeps and a voice inside of her head was requesting that she keep her guard up, there must have been a reason why.

It took a few seconds for the flashes of memory to return. That figure had been down the alley where she had lost Adrien. She wasn't one of her attackers however no… Her head hurt from the strain of trying to think back to events but she forced herself to do so none-the-less. Suddenly, in a matter of seconds, it all came back to her:

"Nathalie..." It had been a while since she had seen the woman like this.

"Well at least you don't have amnesia. We can be grateful for that much."

The decision to give the woman back her miraculous had seemed like a risky one to the former Ladybug. It wasn't as if her actions were comparable to those of Queen Bee's first outing. No, Nathalie Sancoeur had been fully aware that what she was doing was wrong in every sense of the word and was hurting others and had gone along with it anyway. Giving someone with such loose morals such a powerful weapon, one which they had already misused in the past, seemed like a terrible risk to take especially when the guardian of the miraculouses at the time had been largely powerless. She was _special_ to Adrien, Marinette knew that much, although she was aware that perhaps she didn't quite understand it. There was no denying however that Mayura had saved her and prevented the theft of the Ladybug earrings. It was possible that she had misjudged someone who was admittedly very hard to like in the first place.

It was funny how much of Nathalie was present in Mayura at the moment. The way that she stood, straight and cold. There was a sharp intelligence behind her eyes, one which seemed to be evaluating the situation, almost sizing her up. Marinette couldn't help but feel that she was being examined and found wanting. It would be apparent that right now, she wasn't in a state to risk getting out of bed. If nothing else, the hospital staff would doubtlessly notice.

"How much do you remember?" Her tone was serious, business-like and professional.

"Enough. I hit my head. Ad-" She stopped herself remembering that there could easily be people to hear their conversation. "Cat Noir, they took him."

"We know that. They're hiding out in a warehouse in Saint Denis." The woman informed her calmly. "Queen Bee and Carapace are keeping watch."

"So you're going to rescue him?!"

Her excitement at the prospect was real. Adrien had likely suffered enough already. Something caused the young woman to hesitate. It occurred to her that if they were planning such a move, they would want all of their allies present to make sure that it was a success. Two – where was Rena Rouge in all of this?! - wouldn't be enough. Not when they didn't know what to expect. There were at least four enemies, one of whom would likely be injured curtsy of Mayura's attack. They were however dangerous and well-trained. If Cat Noir had struggled to match them and had ended up defeated – albeit when outnumbered – on both attempts, then they would most definitely need to go in strong.

With a pained wince, as her body reminded her that it wasn't just her head that had taken a bashing but the rest of her in the process, the young woman made for the end of the bed. The urge to provide assistance drowned out any protests however that her system might otherwise have voiced.

"Don't even think about it." Nathalie's voice was cold but firm, leaving little room for debate. "You're in no state to even think about fighting."

"Cat Noir needs my help. He needs all of our help." The young woman declared, eyes narrowing as she fixed the assistant.

"Right now you'd be more of a liability than anything else. We can't afford to lose the Ladybug miraculous or for them to get another hostage."

"So what… You're planning on going in without me?" Marinette raised an eyebrow, somewhat dubious. "That's risky."

"No. We're not."

The woman woman simply starred at Mayura. Eyes wide and mouth hanging open slightly, aghast. She wasn't entirely sure how to process such a statement. Rescuing Adrien should have been a priority given the circumstances in which he had been taken from them. Every moment they spent discussing matters or otherwise putting that off would mean another that he would have to spend in the company of some decidedly cruel individuals whose plants Marinette would rather not even think about. Nathalie wasn't a fool or naïve about the ways of the world. She would be acutely aware of all of these facts. As would the others, they wouldn't hesitate to overrule the woman if they thought it was in their friend's best interests. It took a fair amount of self-control not to get angry and to try and take it out on the woman. Perhaps her weakened state was to blame or she was struggling to wrap her head around the current situation.

"But… He needs to be-" She stammered wondering how to phrase it properly.

"There's at least four of those people and now they have the Cat Miraculous. That means there needs to be at least four of us." She paused for a few seconds before finally adding. "One touch… One touch and they could kill any of us. Maybe even two. We can't run the risk."

She wanted to object. It made some sort of sense. Cat Noir – or whatever other name someone misusing the jewel might go by - was a formidable foe. With the power of destruction at their command, they could easily wipe out any enemies without much effort, rendering them little more than a pile of ash in the process. That wasn't something that they would want to face unprepared. She could understand that. There were other circumstances however that made things far more complicated. She was trying not to think about everything which could be happening or might have occurred. This wasn't the news that she had been hoping or expecting to hear. At this point, she'd assumed that they would have at the least had a plan that they were about to implement. This almost sounded like they were going to give up.

"So you're just going to leave him there?!"

"Of course not!" Nathalie snapped not raising her voice but evidently somewhat offended by the suggestion. "-but we can't afford to be reckless. They have one miraculous already. We need Ladybug."

"Then let me come!" Irritation had already taken hold.

"Not in this state. Give it a day… You don't need to be in the heat of the action but at least able to walk." The woman held out her hand, displaying the two earrings. "The miraculous and book are safe-"

"Adrien isn't!"

"He knew the risks." Somehow, despite everything, the assistant still sounded calm, almost detached from what she was advocating. "If he were here, he would tell you he'd rather live with the consequences than have the rest of us pay the price for them."

Marinette narrowed her eyes. She found herself searching the woman for something – what, she couldn't have said – was what. Her natural instinct was to be rather cautious where the assistant was concerned. Their past encounters weren't something that was so easily forgotten. A part of Ladybug, a terrible part which she didn't like to admit existed but was none-the-less impossible to ignore completely at times, couldn't help but wonder if this might somehow suit Nathalie Sancoeur. After all, she had spent a good many years of her life conspiring against them, in an attempt to steal their miraculouses. Could this all be part of some plot? After all, she now had the powers of the peacock one again which had been given to her by a young and inexperienced guardian who had vanished.

The young woman shook her head in an attempt to banish such thoughts from her mind. She reminded herself just how much the woman had put on the line for them and how she had helped Adrien, maybe even saving his life. If he trusted her, then she was rather inclined to put her own doubts aside and assume that the assistant was honest, if a little cold. Still, she couldn't help but voice her disbelief at the woman's apparent lack of concern for the young man:

"Don't you want to save him?"

"Not at the cost of the rest of the world." She was met with a negative shake of the head.

"You realize they could be hurting him, right?"

"Given that he's the last guardian and knows who has the miraculouses, where the rest of them are and the secrets of the book. It's a certainty."

"If the situations were reversed-" The younger of the two began.

"I don't doubt that Cat Noir would come flying to rescue of Mayura." She raised her voice slightly, just enough to let Marinette know that she'd pushed things a little too far. "I'm not him though and if you're implying that I'd rather wait a while so that we could be sure of rescuing him, instead of rushing in. Then you're correct."

There was a certain coldness behind Mayura's eyes now. It was different from the usual detachment that could be found behind the woman's gaze. This one was somewhat sharper, angrier, directed at her. Much to Marinette's surprise, the wielder of the peacock miraculous actually came closer. Her steps were fast, heels clicking against the tiled floor of the hospital. She looked like someone who'd been pushed just that little bit too far. In those few seconds, it struck the young woman just how vulnerable she was. She didn't have her miraculous or anyone around to help her. At least not in good enough time to save her if she required it. The woman stopped just in front of the bed so that she cast a looming shadow. Was this some sort of attempt to intimidate her. Because it might actually have been working. 

"What do the others say to all this?"

"They're about as happy as you are but are also aware that there's going to need to be more than three of them to make a move."

"You're refusing to go in with them unless they do what you say? That's called blackmail!"

The woman pursed her lips. Anger flashing across her features for the briefest of instants. It would perhaps have been wise for her to call it a day there. If she pursued this any further, the chances of the woman snapping only grew. Nathalie was a difficult person to judge, all the more so from the fact that Marinette barely knew her at all. She knew what she was capable of though and that Mayura could be just as fearsome a foe as Hawk Moth. Her morals weren't always the most firm either, which might have been why the prospect of leaving Adrien to suffer for a while didn't seem to be daunting her that much. Perhaps that was an unfair judgement, it was evidently something which she would rather not do but her marble exterior gave off the distinct impression that it wasn't bothering her perhaps as much as it was the rest of them. She seemed to have accepted it as just one of these unavoidable things.

Ladybug could only imagine what her friend would have been like had it been the assistant a prisoner. He would have been climbing the walls if they'd asked him to be patient.

She didn't much like to be cause of not being able to go to their friend's rescue. It made her feel weak, like a nuisance. It could have been that which caused her to challenge the woman. In retrospect, she would be asking them to risk their lives. Even if she accompanied them, in her current state, she would be likely to be more of a liability than an asset. Even sitting here like this was enough to cause her head to spin. She was beginning to feel some regret, perhaps to even consider apologizing when Mayura suddenly spoke, her voice low and dangerous:

"You disapprove of my methods, that's your right. I couldn't care less. You want to try and save Adrien your own way? Be my guest. I think all debts are officially repaid in that department so don't expect me to have your back. Adrien will mourn. I won't. I'm handling this situation as I see fit. If we go in unprepared and not at full strength, they will kill us. Now, I'm not going to waste another second arguing about this with you."

"You haven't changed at all, have you?" Marinette was very close to jumping out of bed or at least trying to.

"I didn't get to where I am by listening to my heart. I had to use my head." The woman replied plainly.

"You got to where you are now because Adrien Agreste gave you a second chance!"

True to her word, it would seem that Mayura was about done entertaining the argument. Eyes narrowed briefly, she tossed something in the younger woman's direction. It landed on her lap. Surprised, the young woman glanced down to see a pair of tiny little jewels glimmering in the moonbeams. She recognized them in a flash as being her earrings. Cautiously, she took them in her hands, treating them as if they were made out of glass and might shatter at any moment. The time it took for her to raise her eyes back to where Nathalie had been, the woman had gone. She'd vanished into thin air. No doubt escaping out of the window, a trick that Ladybug had learned long ago.

The young woman didn't linger on the matter for much longer. Instead, she was quick to put her earrings back on. In a flash, a small creature materialized near her. Tikki looked around for a few seconds, evidently somewhat surprised by her surroundings. It only took her a few seconds to find and focus in on her partner once more. Marinette smiled softly, happy to have a figure of such comfort back by her side. There was no denying the concern behind the kwami's eyes as she faced her partner who had so evidently been injured. Hopefully, she would be able to tell that it wasn't anything to be concerned about, at least not any more. Remembering that this wasn't exactly a private place, Ladybug glanced around, eager to ensure that she was alone and no nurses were about to hear her speaking with some bizarre creature which couldn't be found in any zoology books outside of mystical ones.

"Marinette, are you okay?"

"Fine." Not entirely true but better than causing unnecessary concern. "I just hit my head. That's all… But they got Adrien."

"The same ones as before?" Tikki tilted her head to one side.

"I think so..." Marinette groaned as she rubbed the lump on the back of her skull. "It's still a little fuzzy."

She'd been trying to recall as much as possible from the attack. It was blurry making it difficult to tell apart truth from her own mind making things up to fill in the blanks. With each passing minute however, things seemed to be clearer. Whilst it at least would seem to indicate that she was recovering, it also brought back some memories which she would much rather forget. There was only so many times that she could hear her friend's screams and roars of fury as he'd finally been brought down. Now, something new emerged from her memories. Adrien had been speaking to her. He'd been desperate to get a single message across. Frowning, she struggled desperately to push deeper into her own mind. He'd been talking but not to her, not initially at any rate. He'd been yelling. His cries came back to her in those few moments, hitting her like a ton of bricks:

"He said it was a cult of some kind… The cult of Cain? No..."

"Kahn?"

"Yeah! You know about them?!"

Marinette stopped herself suddenly. There was something behind the kwami's eyes that the young woman could only recall seeing a handful of times before: fear. The little avatar of creation actually looked to be terrified. It was always a little difficult to tell with these creatures given that they weren't human but generally, she found that her partner was pretty proficient at getting her feelings across. There could be no mistaking the dread behind her orbs. No doubt the name meant something to her and nothing good at that. It seemed as if Tikki had drifted off into some world of her own. She hovered there, staring out into space. Her partner hesitated to disturb her, wondering if it might be best to let her friend think things over and recover in her own time. Eventually, she shook her head, shaking herself out of her stupor.

There was a few moments of silence. It was enough to let Marinette know that it wasn't good news. Although that much she could likely have figured out for herself on the assumption that they knew what the were doing:

"You've heard of them?"

"Yes… A long, long time ago. A thousand years? Something like that..." Tikki spoke quietly, as if anything above a whisper could potentially let their enemies know where they were. "Something like that. A Cat Noir, one of Adrien's predecessors was killed fighting a great beast. A warlord from the Steppes came across the Miraculous before the Guardians were able to recover it. Lets just say they weren't exactly the nicest of people. For three generations, he and his family used the power to loot, pillage and destroy."

Marinette felt herself turn a little paler. She knew from her own experience that whilst it was never what they were intended for, kwamis could be used for evil. Adrien had told her about how he had spent many a night back at the temple talking with Nooroo and Dussu respectively. He had realized just how terrible it was for them to find themselves forced to aid someone with their dark intentions and to be powerless to do anything about it. After all, the kwamis were essentially bound to the will of their partner. Even a stubborn one like Plagg would be forced to obey even the most terrible of masters.

She didn't know what to say or how to respond. It wasn't something that she'd ever heard from any of the kwamis or the guardians. She couldn't help but wonder if Adrien had even heard of the group. At least, if nothing else, they now had a name for their enemies. They knew who they were dealing with, at least partly. A thousand years was a very long time to wait. It was hard to conceive that any organisation could last so long. It begged the question just what they hoped to achieve. No doubt they would want the cat miraculous – which they already had, she realized to her terror. After that? Probably world domination, in her experience, bad guys seldom had all that much imagination. She would need more information before she could even begin to contemplate the matter any further.

"Kahn was the last… The Worst..." Tikki continued with her explanation.

"Worst than the others?" It was a question the answer to which Marinette dreaded.

"He killed for fun… Solders, men, women, children… Guardians… A Ladybug."

The young woman's eyes widened. She had no particular delusions of immortality. She could die. Everyone could. Still, the idea that a Ladybug had already fallen to the organisation they were about to go up against was enough to send a shiver down her spine. They'd gone up against some pretty terrible foes before. Hawk Moth and Mayura had done their best to kill them, all just to steal their jewels and obtain their power. This cult sounded different however they would shed blood for no reason other than perhaps their own enjoyment. The idea of going up against such foes was enough to strike true terror into her.

Her mind flashed back to her friends. They were out there, spying on where they thought their friend was being held. Oh God… Adrien… She spun around to look out of the window. For a few seconds, she came close to transforming into Ladybug and racing out there. They needed to be warned about just what they were going up against. Maybe, just maybe, Nathalie had been right about being cautious and holding back until they were at full strength. Sitting up in her bed, her body informed her that she still wasn't quite ready to go into battle. There was still healing that needed to be done. Not much but some. Patience might be her only option for the time being. She might as well use that time to learn as much as she could about their foes:

"If he killed a Ladybug, then how was he defeated? Wouldn't that have meant that he had both miraculouses?"

"He did. That's why the guardians always kept the knowledge of how to use them a secret." Tiki paused for a moment. "It was the Snake and the Rabbit who actually managed to take him down."

"What are the chances of this Cult wanting to finish what Kahn started?" Dread filled the question.

"High. Which is why we needed to stop them…" The kwami's eyes softened as she fixed her partner. "We need you rested for that."

"Adrien..." It was the last lingering resistance which spoke through her.

Tikki didn't need to say anything. A slight shake of the head was enough to banish any notions of going to fight tonight. With a soft sigh, she closed her eyes. It was just how tired she was. In those few moments, it was as if everything had just suddenly crashed into her. Within a few seconds, she found herself placing her head back on the pillow. Her thoughts seemed to be fading away. The adrenaline of being woken up by Mayura's arrival and the subsequent revelations about their enemies had vanished leaving her feeling weak and reminding her that she was still recovering from a concussion. Still, worries lingered preventing her from closing her eyes and finding peace.

Her kwami came over to her, settling by her. The presence was enough to soothe some of her worries.

"It's going to be okay. We'll save Adrien. You just sleep. You need to get your strength back."

She didn't argue. She just drifted off into a world of nothingness.


	17. Rescue

It was something of a comfort to be standing here in broad daylight. Initially, the plan had been to go in after dark. The plan had been rethought when they had reminded themselves that Cat Noir would likely have the advantage in the dark. His suit lent itself to stealth and he could see even in the pitch-black. There was no sense in taking such a risk. So, at midday, they had decided that they were stage their attack.

This warehouse was a bleak and derelict place. Located outside of Paris proper on the other side of the main autoroute, there wasn't much positive which could be said for it. It was quiet. Nobody would pass by here or hear another calling for help, making it an ideal spot to be hiding Adrien. Marinette was willing to bet that this wouldn't be the only bit of nefarious activity the building had seen. With most of the windows boarded up and the few that weren't either broken and/or covered with graffiti, it was clear that nobody had worked here in quite a while. It was still occupied however. Carapace attested to having seen an individual, clad in black entering with a bag full of supplies. Groceries apparently. It would seem that their enemies still needed to eat. Marinette was inclined to count that as being good. At least it proved that they were human.

Now, they stood ready to act. They would go in strong. Knock out their enemies and rescue their friend. The second part was the most important. One thing was for sure; they weren't going to leave him there. There was some fear in the pit of Marinette's stomach as her eyes darted around. They had encountered the cult of Kahn on two occasions. Both times, they'd managed to get the drop on them and the effects had been devastating. This time, with any luck, they would be able to turn the tides. It was hard to conceive that they wouldn't be prepared for some kind of assault. After all, they had the last remaining guardian as their captive. It was a fair bet that they would be expecting that his friends would try and rescue him. As such, the miraculous holders were battle-ready aware that they were likely about to encounter heavy resistance.

"You okay Ladybug?"

Rena Rouge stood behind her, a hand gently placed on her shoulder. Marinette managed to give her a soft and reassuring smile. In truth, she still wasn't 100%. It would take a good few days before she was back to normal the doctors had informed her as they discharged her, reminding her not to try falling over in such a way again. She'd lied; assuring her allies that she was okay. If she was standing here it was in part because she'd taken enough painkillers to ensure that she could at least operate properly. The transformation had helped as well, acting as something of an energy boost. No doubt her body would make sure that, she would regret this tomorrow…

She wanted this to be over. She wanted Adrien safe.

Her allies were battle ready. They had rested as best as humanly possible and come up with the best plan that they could. They would go in together and stay in pairs. Mayura would wait outside, keeping an eye open. It was vital that they couldn't escape. No doubt, if they were attacked then the cult was liable to try and run with their prisoner in tow. They couldn't allow them to do so and run the risk of them disappearing, this time for good. So she would stand guard, ready to pounce if they did find a way out of the building. Inside, they would split into pairs. It didn't appear to be a massive building but they would want to move quickly. Rena Rouge and Carapace formed a formidable team and Marinette trusted Queen Bee to have her back. They would be as careful as possible, weary in case of any sudden surprise attacks. There only seemed to be four of their enemies. They based that figure solely on how many both Adrien and Ladybug could attest to ever having encountered. Four enemies. Four miraculous holders going in and one waiting patiently on the outside.

All four of them stood ready. Aware that this was likely going to be a do or die scenario. Only Mayura remained turned away, her attention focused on the building, seemingly unblinking. It wasn't exactly a constructive attitude to have at a time like this. It seemed like the woman was distancing herself from them. Unwilling to be anything other than a business partner. She wasn't inclined to take it personally given that Nathalie had never been the warmest of individuals anyway.

"Is everyone ready?" Ladybug asked, turning to her allies, her friends.

"Lets do this!" It was Carapace who seemed to speak for the rest of them.

A silent nod was given. Each of them knew their part in what was to come. There was no more time to be wasted. As careful as they were being right now, if they hung around for too long it would only be a matter of time before they were spotted.

The heroes moved quickly, splitting into their separate groups. Ladybug and Queen Bee approached from the southern entrance, Carapace and Rena Rouge the northern. Whilst the doors would almost certainly have been locked, there were enough broken windows to mean that they didn't even have to wonder about how they would get in. They would be as stealthy as humanly possible. If they could get Adrien out without a fight, that would be ideal. The cult needed to be brought down but they couldn't run the risk of them hiding behind a hostage. With her heart in her mouth, Marinette slipped in following Queen Bee.

The corridors inside were about as attractive as the concrete outside was. Perhaps worse. At least there wasn't the same unpleasant and pungent lingering odour which Marinette decided against trying to identify. This place had obviously seen its fair share of squatters. The fact that it wasn't cleaner seemed to point towards the cult only having set up camp recently – she could have been wrong but they didn't seem like the graffiti types – they most certainly hadn't been bothered cleaning up. The surprise good news was that none of the doors actually appeared to be locked. Most of them were off of their hinges, having evidently been barged down at some point. They gave a quick glance inside but found almost all of them to be empty. It was a necessary precaution however, ensuring that their enemies weren't able to get behind them.

With her heart thumping in her chest all the time, Ladybug couldn't help but think back to her parents who would no doubt be blissfully busy in the bakery. They wouldn't ask questions. Marinette would have had to go past them to get out of the front door. Ladybug however wasn't bound by such an obligation and had found leaping over the rooftops to be a rather easy task. She felt somewhat guilty, risking her life like this. If something were to happen to her, it would hit them like a ton of bricks. It wasn't something that she had a lot of choice in however. Even if they did know her secret identity – something she could never risk them knowing – what would they have said about this? Departing to face foes whom they were yet to beat whilst still suffering from some of the affects of a concussion. It was pure folly. They would have tried to talk her out of it, as all good parents would have and she wouldn't have listened.

They crept around like that for five minutes. Sneaking through the corridors as if they were criminals, their eyes darted around, looking for even the faintest sign of their friend. At the same time, she listened both for footsteps which might signal that some people were creeping up on them or for a call from the second group, informing them that they had found Adrien. None came. Everything was eerily silent.

After a while, doubt began to creep in. With no sign of any members of the cult or their captive, Ladybug couldn't help but wonder if a mistake had been made. If somehow they had spent all this time spying on the wrong people or even the if the Cult was here, if their prisoner was somewhere else. It was a thought that she didn't want to entertain for more than a few fleeting seconds. If Adrien wasn't here then the simple fact was that they would likely never discover where he was. He would have vanished into thin air. No, she resolved that he had to be here somewhere. They likely would have him in a more interior part of the building to ensure that he couldn't yell for help. That was assuming they didn't have any gags of course. In retrospect… He could be anywhere. Panic was rather instinctively creeping in.

"Psst!"

Instantly, she stopped dead.

Even such a hushed voice seemed to be like a shout in the silence of the corridors. Instantly, her head spun around. Trying to locate the source of the voice which had been calling to her. After a few seconds, the sound was heard again. It was coming from further down the corridor. Slowly, she approached, weary of a trap. Her yoyo was in hand, ready for any potential unpleasant surprises. She recognized the voice of course, it was a little croaky but most definitely belonged to Adrien Agreste. The question was where was it coming from? Finally, she spotted not too far away, a familiar green eye peering out at them through a hole in a battered door.

She abandoned caution in those few seconds, rushing forwards. The way was clear and there was no sign of any enemies. She trusted Queen Bee to have her back. It was by pure chance that Marinette even bothered trying the door handle. Ordinarily, she would have assumed that they would lock the room which contained their prisoner. To her astonishment however, it was open. As she stepped in through the door, it became a little clearer. The young man was handcuffed to some pipes, presumably linked to the waterworks in such a manner that would prevent him from ever realistically being able to run. His ring was gone, not much risk of a cataclysm being unleashed either.

She was quick to give the young man a once-over. He looked a bit battered and was filthy but otherwise looked to be alright. He offered her a gentle smile, as if to confirm that all was well and that they didn't need to worry about him. Instinctively, she collapsed forwards, wrapping her arms around his neck. He chuckled softly, it was a warming and gentle sound. The feel of his cheek against her own was strange however, prickly. Apparently, in the short time they had been separated, he had been able to grow a short beard, the stubble coming through. It wasn't something which she was accustomed to seeing on him. He seemed to sense that something was up. Asking her in a bemused tone:

"What?"

"You need a shave!" She informed him kindly.

"I haven't exactly had access to a razor you know!"

With that. Everything suddenly became far more relaxed. Adrien was alright: a little bit battered and he most definitely would need a bath but he would be okay. For a few moments, she allowed the joy of that simple realization to fill her. It was literally a few seconds, that was all that she could afford. She must have looked a bit daft, staring at him the way that she was, with a large grin on her face. His response was more sober, a gentle smile, as if to say that everything was alright and she didn't need to worry any more.

It would have been nice to be able to completely stop worrying completely. Unfortunately, she found herself confronted with the next issue: getting Adrien out. Had he simply been locked up in a room or otherwise bound with ropes, then escaping would have been a simple matter. Currently however, it was a rather thick lead pipe and a set of heavy duty handcuffs which were preventing him from simply running away. They had no way on hand of being able to break the former or cut the latter. It was something, in retrospect that they should have thought of and planned for. The Cult of Kahn were never going to leave their prisoner in a situation where escape was comparatively easy. Perhaps over the course of their adventures they had come to rely too heavily on Cat Noir's ability to destroy anything that he came into contact with with a single touch. Cataclysm would have broken him out of this in no time.

"I don't suppose you brought a key." Adrien seemed to have spotted the issue before any of them brought it up.

"Afraid not..." Marinette shook her head, choosing to try and continue to appear relaxed. "Do you know where we can find one?"

"I think they have one between them. I haven't exactly been walking around freely."

"So we need to beat all of them up until we can get the key?" Queen Bee raised an eyebrow, somewhat dubiously.

"Maybe not..." Ladybug's mind was already working quickly. "If I use my Lucky Charm, it should give us just what we'll need – hopefully."

"Yeah but it'll start your countdown." The blonde woman reminded her. "You'll only have five minutes before turning back."

"Then we'll just have to make them count." She contemplated the yo-yo in her hand for a few seconds before letting out the cry "Lucky Charm"!"

The action seemed so natural, even after all of these years that she barely even had to think about it. How many times had she called upon the power of Ladybug's "Lucky Charm"? More than she dared to count. As confusing as the intended use of spot-covered items could be, they were yet to let her down. She trusted this time that they would provide her with what they needed to free her friend. Ideally, they just needed to get those cuffs off of him and he would be able to walk free. Cutting the pipe would almost certainly be more complicated and noisier and would leave the young man with his hands bound together.

Of course, her powers were were never entirely predictable. She wished that the Lucky Charm would create exactly what she wanted when she wanted it. As such, rather than a key. She found herself holding a rather large bolt-cutter. The weight of the tool surprised her, causing her to almost drop it on the cold concrete ground. She managed to catch it however. At least, with something like this, she wouldn't have to spend too long searching for what to do with it. Adrien was even kind enough to spread his hands as much as was possible so as to grant her more easy access to the chain. It wasn't something which she'd had to use all that often. A part of her wondered if it was entirely safe. She had some sort of nightmare image flashing through her mind that she might slip and end up removing one of his fingers.

She positioned the bolt-cutter carefully, ensuring that she had the chain firmly gripped. All the meanwhile, Queen Bee kept a watchful eye, glancing from right to left least some of their enemies try to sneak up on them. Adrien nodded briefly, giving her that little piece of encouragement that she needed to go ahead. There was no blood, no loss of fingers. With comparatively little effort, she managed to shatter the chain which linked the cuffs. Free, the captive was quick to jump to his feet. Given his ordeal, he seemed to be remarkably spritely. She had been expecting the young man to be battered, bruised and frankly to be a bit of a mess. He was a tough cookie, she supposed, given everything that he'd gone through since the age of fourteen. He offered her a smile, grateful but also ever-so-slightly cocky, it was an action she associated more with Cat Noir… The adrenaline rush of being rescued must have brought that part of his somewhat dormant personality out she reasoned.

"Are you here alone?"

"No. Carapace, Rena Rouge and Mayura are all near-by. Speaking of-" She was quick to pull out her yoyo and to call Alya. Surprisingly, the features of the young hero popped up mere moments later. "Rena Rouge, all okay your end?"

"More or less… We caught two of them. They're out cold and looked surprised to see us." The fox themed hero informed her.

"We've got Adrien. He's fine. We'll get him out."

"What about his miraculous. We can't just-"

The sounds of some shouting in Chinese tore her attention away from her yoyo. Queen Bee had braced herself, adopting a fighting stance. Instinctively, Marinette pushed Adrien somewhere behind him. If two of their enemies had been taken down, then that would still leave at least another two for them to deal with. One of whom could, potentially, be in possession on the Cat Miraculous and all of its destructive power. Despite his skill, the young man was unlikely to be as effective in combat as the two heroes. Readying herself, Ladybug began to spin her yoyo, allowing it to gain velocity. With this much commotion, it was hard to imagine that everyone inside hadn't been alerted to the presence of intruders.

She was expecting their enemy to run. Faced with three opponents. He must have known that he didn't stand a chance. Still, for some reason, he seemed to think that it might work out if he charged straight into them. Perhaps he knew the game was up and simply wanted to go down in a blaze of glory. Marinette wasn't inclined to think about his motivations. She'd seen the damage that these people could inflict on others and wasn't about to take any chances.

As it happened, her caution seemed to be for naught. Their attacker rushed Queen Bee somewhat carelessly. Whereas before they had seemed to be some form of well-oiled fighting machine, they now seemed angry, confused and uncoordinated. Chloe managed to easily evade their fist as it went sailing past, missing her face by a mile. All she needed to do was step to one side. His own momentum carried him in such a way that he almost fell over. The miraculous holder seemed to hesitate for a few seconds, wondering whether or not to use her power to bring things to a quick end. Another attempt at a punch caused her to hop backwards. Easily avoiding the swipe. Clenching her fist, the blonde hero lashed out with a single well-placed blow. It hit the man straight in the windpipe as he came forwards. The effect was instant, sending him onto his knees, gasping for breath. A second strike to the back of his head was enough to knock him unconscious.

Queen Bee contemplated the man by her feet for a few seconds, keen to ensure that he was well and truly out for the count as opposed to simply faking it. A nudge to ribs confirmed that he was indeed unconscious. The hero looked up unimpressed, a single eyebrow raised:

"These are the guys who beat you up twice?"

"He was alone..." Adrien muttered as a response.

"There's still one left somewhere..." Marinette noted before a familiar beeping sound alerted her to the fact that she had just burned through a minute of her countdown. "We've got to get you out of here!"

Adrien didn't object as she had been expecting. Instead, he simply nodded in agreement. They could leave the cultist where he was, he wasn't going to get up anytime soon. What was important was ensuring that their friend was safe and that meant him getting away from this place. They still had one enemy unaccounted for and that was one too many for Ladybug's liking. If nothing else, she didn't like the idea of getting caught in this place when her transformation wore off. It would take a few minutes and a macaroon for Tikki to regain her strength and that would be a few minutes spent with two vulnerable individuals as opposed to one. They would carry out the plan and regroup outside. Perhaps, they might not necessarily run away. Given that they had taken out three of their four enemies, then it might prove worthwhile for all of them to go in together and see if they could locate the last one and hopefully, Cat Noir's ring in the process.

As they ran back, simply contenting themselves with going the way that they had come in. Ladybug lead the group, Adrien followed closely behind her. Queen Bee kept glancing over her shoulder, ensuring that nobody was closing in from behind. The sight of daylight coming up ahead was a welcome one. Already, that window they had first entered through offered the promise of freedom should they manage to reach it. With only about three minutes until she changed back, Ladybug continued to lead the charge. Every stride, she kept on expecting them to run into some form of demonic Cat Noir. Yet, astonishingly everything was clear.

They climbed out of the window and back into the damp courtyard, making a break for the open. Not even Cat Noir would be able to sneak up on them there. From that point onwards, they would be able to regroup and organise themselves. Marinette was rather surprised to find both Carapace and Rena Rouge already waiting for them by their feet were two unconscious bodies, presumably the two cultists they had mentioned encountering earlier. For a moment, the young woman toyed with the idea with going back to fetch the one that Queen Bee had knocked unconscious but dismissed the notion given that they were still an enemy unaccounted for.

"You okay dude?" Carapace asked as they approached.

"Fine." Adrien dismissed all of their worries with a simple wave of the hand. "Glad to be free."

"Did you run into any trouble?" Rena Rouge glanced over the group.

"One guy." Ladybug informed them. "That leaves one unaccounted for."

"One more than I'm comfortable with..." The young guardian let out a sigh. "They still have my ring."

"What matters now is getting you out of here! We can't afford to have them take you again!"

Perhaps she had spoken a little too assertively or sounded too aggressive as the others stared at her, evidently somewhat surprised. It had been a while since she had spoken in such a way, taking charge. Marinette and Ladybug were still rather different people it would seem. It was likely just the adrenaline which took over, prompting her to act in such a manner. It was true that there was an undeniable rush which was associated with such heroics (although in truth, she would much rather not have found herself in the situation of having to rescue her friend). She blushed slightly, not entirely comfortable with the way that her friends were fixing her. Strangely, Adrien smiled. It was a slightly teasing grin which he offered her, one which reminded the hero of the good old days when she had Cat Noir had stood up to akumas on a weekly basis.

"I'd forgotten what it was like to have you telling me what to do, milady..." He nodded a couple of times, resigning himself to her suggestion. "You're right… Best we-"

"Guys!"

Marinette spun around on her heels. Queen Bee's cry had been loud and panicked. A figure was coming towards them, bolting quickly out of the warehouse. They seemed to be impossibly fast. Covering the distance in a matter of seconds. Eyes wide, terrified, it only took the group a mere moment to recognise the clad figure as being that of Cat Noir. He was different to Adrien. His outfit was perhaps a little looser, somewhat more traditional… It was hard to say. In truth, they were a little too preoccupied by how quickly their enemy was closing in to take much note of their fashion choices. In truth, he was almost upon them. In one hand, he was clutching his staff and the other was emitting a terrifyingly familiar dark glow.

Acting instinctively, Ladybug pushed the only remaining member without a miraculous behind her. She spun her yoyo rapidly, aware that one single touch from this adversary would turn it (and potentially her) to dust. She risked giving the others a glance. One look told her that they were just as concerned as she was. They had some experience going up against other miraculous holders. None of which had been pleasant. They would have to work as a group. Watching each other's backs, ensuring that cataclysm didn't make contact with any human being. Once that was achieved, they could maybe contemplate taking him down. A loud beeping served to remind the young woman that she only had a few minutes left before a far more vulnerable and non-superpowered Marinette would be left standing in her stead.

He was mere inches away now. If Adrien was to be believed, these guys were all well trained and would likely be able to best one of them by themselves. In her mind, she was still going through potential strategies. It was then that a figure shot out of nowhere. They collided roughly with the charging Cat Noir, dealing a powerful kick to his jaw. In an instant, his attack was stopped. He let out a loud shriek, probably of surprise more than anything else. Mayura, for her part landed agilely. She didn't even bother adopting a combat stance, apparently judging that she'd done her part and that now her job was done. Her disdain for her foe was such that she even turned her head to look at them, almost to clue them in to what they were expected to do now. Queen Bee caught on quickly. She rushed forwards to the still somewhat stunned Cat Noir, unwilling to give him the opportunity to recover.

"Venom!"

Their enemy let out some sort of a strange roar of fury, perhaps realising what was about to happen. He was frozen mid-cry, captured in that split second of pure-unbridled rage, he looked less like a man and more like a monster. The group was able to breathe and let out a collective sigh of relief. Four. All of their enemies were accounted for. With a single hand outstretched, reaching forwards so as to try and kill at least one of them, death seemed to be strangely present in the room. There was a hatred behind those orbs which Marinette had only seen twice before behind the eyes of Hawk Moth and Mayura. Even their akumatized victims for all of their momentary insanity had never quite come close to what she was currently witnessing. In truth, it caused a shiver to run down her spine.

Chloe reached forwards, eager to pluck the ring off of the stranger's hand and end all of the madness.

"Whoa! Wait! Cataclysm's still active."

Alya was just fast enough to snatch her friend's hand back to avoid her making contact with a hand which was still more than capable of turning anyone to ash. She stared wide-eyed, apparently suddenly realizing just how close she had come to disaster. They were left with a slight issue. It would be impossible to remove his ring without touching his hand. If they did that, they would go up in a puff of smoke.

Curiously, it was Adrien who took a step forwards. He did so with a confident look on his face, as if he was completely in control of the situation. Marinette raised an eyebrow but didn't question him. He might have been roughed up a little but she still trusted him to be sensible enough not to do something insane. His expression spoke of him having a plan or at least knowing exactly what to do. He bent down, picking something up off of the ground. It was a rock. The young man tossed the stone up and down a few times, catching it with ease. Green eyes glanced back towards them, seemingly wondering if any of the group had figured out just what he was going to do. He was met only with looks of bewilderment.

Approaching cautiously, as if he half expected Cat Noir to spring back to life, Adrien stopped only a few inches away. He took aim. Then, carefully tossed the stone towards the stranger. It made contact with his hand. In a matter of a few seconds, the rock turned dark, as if it was made of goal. Cracks spread and then it turned to dust. The sinister glow around his hand faded in the space of a few seconds. With a content smirk, he bent down and cautiously plucked the ring off of their attacker's finger. In an instant, the miraculous holder faded away, leaving room for a stranger. It was with a gleeful smile that he slipped the piece of jewellery back onto his finger. A familiar kwami manifested next to him. Plagg seemed confused, disorientated. He stared at his partner but otherwise didn't speak. That didn't seem to unsettle his human companion however.

"Mine I think..." Adrien turned back to them, giving them an enthusiastic smile. "Lets go home..."


	18. Calm

Home was actually a little further away than Adrien had lead them to believe.

They couldn't after all, just leave the Cult of Kahn lying around. At best, it would have been irresponsible. The fact was that left unchecked, they were only likely to come back again. They might not be so fortunate next time. Some inventive thinking had been required along with some phone calls. Thankfully, the words of both Ladybug and Chat Noir still seemed to carry some weight as far as the Parisien justice system was concerned. This would not be simple however, that much had been made clear to the group as the police had come to take away the four offenders. Whilst the whole city, indeed the whole would could attest to the crimes of Hawk Moth and Mayura, the same wasn't true for this new group. They only had the – granted weighty – testimony of the miraculous holders to back them up. It would be a little more complicated this time…

A bridge to be crossed at a later date.

As it was, Marinette had rushed home accompanied by her friends. Whilst it was fair to assume that her parents would spend much of the day occupied, every minute she spent outside of her bedroom to which she had notionally confined herself, was another which they ran the risk of one of the Dupain-Chengs going to check on her and discovering that she'd escaped. Back to being Marinette, it was Alya who had spirited her back to her room, dropping her off carefully and promising to be back as soon as possible. Whilst the young woman had stayed quiet, reluctant to reveal her weakness, she hadn't been entirely disappointed to be allowed to return to her bed. The painkillers were beginning to wear off, informing her that only a few days ago, she'd received a moderately severe concussion.

As it stood, her friends had been kind enough to keep her informed about just what was going on and more importantly about what the cover story was. For the whole afternoon, her phone had been going off.

They'd been eager to keep her updated with everything that was going on. She was grateful, at least it meant that she wasn't worrying about it. Well, she was but at least not as much. By mid-afternoon, exhaustion had begun to creep in. Adrien was safe. Their enemies had been locked up. Now, in theory, she could rest easy. Enough tranquillity had returned at any rate to allow her adrenaline levels to gradually fall back down. She simply felt drained. No doubt the lunchtime exertions could be blamed as well as her prior injury. Tikki kept her company, chatting idly about things when she felt like it and simply staying nearby when she needed it.

At about 5 o'clock, the others asked if she felt up to a video call. Whilst tired and seriously considering calling it an early night, she agreed, eager to ensure that she had the full story, aware that it would likely enable her to sleep soundly that night if she knew that all of their enemies were safely behind bars. She turned the volume down. Whilst her parents might not object to her talking with her friends, she didn't want them to hear any of the details about just how she had secretly spent her afternoon or any of their other vigilante activities for that matter. After a few moments, she managed to bring up the image of the entirety of their little group. It looked as if they had retired to the Agreste mansion judging by the décor which she had become rather familiar with since Adrien's return. It was much of the same. They informed her that everything was okay. She didn't need to worry…

They were handing their miraculouses back to Adrien. They were no longer needed now that the cult was locked up and having them in the open as they were was only exposing them to the potential threat of having them stolen. A somewhat sombre atmosphere seemed to settle in at that point. Marinette couldn't help but glance towards her own kwami. It seemed like just yesterday that the two of them had been reunited and now they were to be torn apart once more. She didn't linger on the fact for too long. Perhaps, just perhaps, they might be able to talk about the matter later… At least work out some way for her to talk with her partner from time to time.

They bid her goodnight, promising to be back in contact the next day.

At quarter past eight, the doorbell went. It only just registered to Marinette. Her parents would surely have closed the bakery by now. In fact, she knew that they had. She had been able to hear them moving around and talking for a while now. Even the smell of cooking was enough to confirm that dinner was on its way. A visitor at this hour would have been unusual but not entirely unheard of. It could have been her grandmother or another of their closer friends. Exhausted, she decided not to leave her room, reasoning that they would likely go away eventually. If it was anyone important, her parents would come and-

Her father materialized a few seconds later. He seemed a little confused. It was enough to perk his daughter's interest. The man frowned slightly, as if he were surprised to see her there. For a few seconds, he simply stood there. It was only when Marinette raised an eyebrow and opened her mouth to ask him just what was going on that he seemed to snap out of it:

"Adrien's here to see you."

"Adrien?"

Instantly, she found herself regaining some strength and enthusiasm. This was something of a surprise. She had assumed that he would much rather spend the rest of the day trying to recover as opposed to coming to pay her a visit. It was a welcome surprise however. It had been difficult to talk to him with the others around. At least not one on one. She smiled, silently informing her father that she was more than ready to greet a guest. Already, even as she approached the door she could hear the sound of voices from downstairs. Her mother seemed to be chatting with her boyfriend quite amiably.

"Honestly, it's alright. If she's not feeling up to it, just please tell her I stopped by and wish her a speedy recovery."

"I'm fine..." Marinette announced emerging into the hall.

Adrien had smartened himself up. He'd probably taken a shower by the looks of things although seemed to have neglected to shave curiously enough. She wasn't about to question the decision. He wasn't unhandsome with the stubble and had likely had somewhat more pressing matters on his mind. He gave her a charming smile as he stood there. Promptly offering to leave if she felt even remotely unwell. It actually took some convincing to prevent him from walking out. She was fine. A lie but not one which particularly bothered her. They chatted for a while in the company of her parents before Marinette requested to be given a few brief moments in privacy with her boyfriend. Naturally, they didn't object.

Her friend seemed to be somewhat bemused by her bedroom. It had been quite some time since she'd last let him in here. The way he looked around told her that he was remembering various times form the past that he had stood here. There hadn't been that many but they were from over a decade ago. If his memories of that time were the same as hers, it would seem like a strange place. He'd left his childhood behind quite a while ago and had spent a sizeable amount of time since then on the side of an isolated mountain in Tibet. She allowed him to get lost in the nostalgia. Plagg was by his side once more. She offered the kwami a brief smile which curiously, he failed to return. He was probably going through quite a lot she reasoned and didn't question it any more than that.

Finally, after a while, he turned round to face her. There was a gentle smile on his face as he looked at her. She took a few steps forwards, allowing herself to fall into his embrace. Resting her head against his chest, she felt safe in his arms. The young man rested his head atop of hers, softly rubbing her arm. She closed her eyes, allowing herself to momentarily forget about everything which had happened to them. It was a strange form of comfort she'd feared she would never experience again.

"You had me scared." She confessed after some time had passed.

"I'm sorry princess..." He held her a little closer in response. "If it counts for anything, I obviously didn't mean for it to happen."

"Of course not..."

"How's your head?"

"Fine."

She wasn't inclined to leave his embrace. Instead, they opted to sit down on her couch. Snuggling up to him, she closed her eyes. They could hope that they'd seen the last of the fighting with their enemies now safely locked up. Adrien's wounds had healed up, almost entirely at this point. In a few days, things would be back to normal. Marinette dared to hope that this might become something similar to the new normal. Perhaps with less exhaustion and no bruises… The presence of the young man was enough to let her know that they were both safe once more. She felt as if she could have fallen asleep like that.

"I'm surprised you came." She confessed keeping her eyes closed.

"Is it illegal for a guy to want to make sure his girlfriend is okay?" He asked somewhat teasingly.

"I thought you'd want to recover a bit yourself first." The young woman justified her statement.

"I'm fine." He shrugged his shoulders indifferently before grinning. "Best I've been in a while in fact."

She glanced up at him, surprised by his statement. She reasoned that he was probably referring to the state he'd been in not all that long ago following his first encounter with the Cult of Kahn. Their defeat must have been quite the weight off of his shoulders given his position as the last guardian. For a moment, Marinette contemplated asking him just what had happened to him after he had been taken but thought better of it. They'd had enough strife for one day. Tomorrow, they would be able to talk things over calmly, more removed from the events and when their wounds had had more time to heal. Again, she spent a few moments in silence. It was very tempting to allow herself to drift off here and now. The stresses of the day had evaporated and now, her body requested that she be allowed to rest so as to be able to fully recover.

"What did you say to Nathalie to get her so angry at you?" Adrien asked her after a while. "It's not always easy to tell with her but she seemed cold – well, colder than usual – where you were concerned."

"A lot of stupid stuff. I was angry and worried about you." Not a great justification but the only one she could offer. "I really should apologize"

"Yeah… She can bare a grudge." Adrien laughed softly as if somehow amused by the whole thing.

Marinette found herself wondering if Adrien knew what exactly she had said to Nathalie. She could blame some of it on her injury and maybe a little bit more on the medication but most of it had been her. She'd been upset and afraid and angry. She bitterly regretted what she had said. Apologizing to someone like the assistant would be a challenge. She was such a strange and unpredictable person in her own way. There was little doubt in the young woman's mind that she was going to have to ask her boyfriend for tips about how, when and what to say. Maybe she was overthinking all of this and a simple "I'm sorry" would suffice. Something to be dealt with tomorrow when things were all a bit clearer and she was thinking more clearly.

There was another matter which needed to be dealt with of course. Opening her eyes, she found her gaze resting upon Tikki. The kwami seemed to be thinking the same thing that she was. They were going to have to part ways soon. With their enemies defeated, there was no need for the miraculouses to be out in the open and vulnerable. Already, the pain of having to say farewell to her friend was beginning to hit her. She didn't want to bring the matter up, unwilling to speed up the process.

"You're going to want the miraculous back now, aren't you?"

"It's too dangerous to have them out in the world, you know that Milady..." He spoke softly, as someone who understood her pain.

"I know…" She whispered under her breath.

"Maybe, Adrien, just for tonight, you could make an exception." Tikki floated over to him. "Marinette's not 100% yet and we kwamis have to watch over our partners. You know that."

Next to her, it seemed like the young man tensed up for second. She almost thought that she heard him wince. It was enough to prompt the young woman to open an eye, peering up at her friend as she did so. His expression was strangely blank as if he had suddenly found himself transported somewhere far away. Somewhat startled, Marinette frowned wondering what could possibly be troubling him so. Tikki's request had seemed both polite and reasonable. Perhaps he was simply weighing up the risks of obliging with leaving the Ladybug miraculous out in the open. The behaviour was odd enough for her to raise her head before asking somewhat concerned voice:

"Are you okay?"

"Fine… Just tired."

Of course, he would be. He'd been through a lot. They both had. Hopefully, this time tomorrow they could have a more civilised conversation. The momentary swell of joy that she'd felt upon seeing him was beginning to give way to both exhaustion and a slight headache. She should probably take her medicine and call it a day herself.

Somewhat reluctantly, she pulled away from him. Adrien got up. He smiled softly, offering her his hand. He helped her to her feet, pulling her up so that she stood close to him. She smiled softly looking up into his green eyes. She had a little bit of trouble reading his expression however. The young woman frowned, wondering just what was going through his head. A few seconds later, she got her answer. He bent down slowly, moving towards her. Marinette clued into his intentions quickly enough. The young man wasn't aiming to take her by surprise, giving her an opportunity to pull away should she want to. She didn't. Allowing him to place a gentle kiss on her lips. It wasn't all that deep, a few seconds only but a greater show of intimacy than she'd received before from him.

How long had she dreamed of this as a teenager? Too long arguably to be healthy. She closed her eyes, allowing herself to lose herself in the feeling for a few blissful seconds. He pulled away after a few seconds, eyes softening as they rested upon her. He stroked her cheek tentatively. She leaned into his hand, embracing the contact.

"I'll be seeing you around Marinette Dupain-Cheng..."

She smiled softly, allowing him to place another kiss on her forehead. It was such a gentle action. She closed her eyes, feeling the heat rise to her cheeks. A few seconds later, she lead him back outside. He bid both her and her parents goodnight, promising to come back when she was better and even – to her surprise – invited them round for dinner whenever they felt like it. Whether or not her parents would appreciate Adrien's vegetarian soup or stew or whatever it was he made for himself she wasn't too sure but the offer still gave her some hope for the future.

He said goodbye with a little wave before disappearing out into the night.

Marinette smiled softly, assuring her parents that everything was okay before heading back to bed. She stopped however as she emerged into the room. There was a bag present on the couch where she had been sitting with Adrien just mere moments ago. He must have dropped it off, a little gift it would seem.

Adrien returned home promptly. He arguably shouldn't have been driving given how recently he'd been blinded and the fact that from time to time his eyes would still sting a little, reminding him that he wasn't entirely healed. So he was cautious. It wouldn't take much for the police to pull the driver of a several thousand euro sports car over. He wasn't in a particular rush. Not after tonight. A million things were buzzing through his mind as he pulled into the driveway and garage, parking up carefully. Plagg was quiet, following him diligently. He gave the kwami a brief knowing look as he made his way into the living room. The miraculous box was locked up in the safe. He'd dropped off the fox, turtle and bee miraculouses earlier. They had been very sad to part with their partners but hadn't objected too much.

Marinette was a different kettle of fish. One to be dealt with tomorrow.

He removed the box from its safe, carrying it over to the windowsill where he had better light. What had once been a decent disguise during the first half of the 20th century was now somewhat cumbersome. He would have to change it from a gramophone… Perhaps a radio? No… A games console? A challenge for another day. He opened the box, eager to look inside. He contemplated the contents for a moment, fixing it somewhat absently.

The young man stood there for some time. Trying to get his head around what he was looking at. He didn't react to the sound of heels on the wooden floor, entering behind him. Nathalie stood in the doorway silently, perhaps waiting for his response.

"A problem?" She asked eventually.

"Nathalie..." Adrien spoke quietly, almost under his breath. "Perhaps you would like to explain why all of the miraculouses are gone?"


	19. What lies beneath

Nathalie stood her ground against the accusation. She didn't back down nor display any signs of being troubled. Instead, she simply fixed the young man, acknowledging what he'd just said but not immediately responding to it, intent to judge his reaction.

Strangely, he didn't appear to be as bothered as he might otherwise have been. Instead, he hopped up, sitting on the windowsill. He knew what was going on, that much was clear but for the time being, wasn't acting on it in the way that she had imagined that he might. Her eyes briefly fell upon the kwami. Plagg floated there in silence. He looked terrified and that in turn, caused a shudder to run down Nathalie's spine. The box was empty. Adrien had been quick to realize it but then no attempt had been made to conceal that fact. He waited patiently, seemingly waiting for an answer to his question.

She hesitated a moment before giving him one:

"You know the answer to that."

"You're right. My mistake. I should have been more precise: where have you hidden my miraculouses?"

Nathalie remained silent, narrowing her eyes slightly so that her stance was clear. Adrien let out a frustrated sigh, allowing his head to fall down. His disappointment was obvious. Still, it failed to earn even the slightest show of sympathy from the woman. She tried her best to read his expression but found it to be strangely indecipherable for a man who was usually so poor at hiding his emotions and whom she'd known for so long. Right now however, she wasn't all that surprised by that fact. Feeling nerves beginning to get the better of her, she placed a hand on the door frame. Somehow, this seemed to have turned into a waiting game. Finally, he spoke:

"So after all these years and promises, you finally betray me Nathalie."

"Adrien Agreste would know that I would never betray him..."

Marinette opened the little bag carefully. It was something of a puzzle to her. It was quite large for Adrien to have managed to sneak it in. She exchanged a puzzled look with Tikki. The kwami, somewhat worryingly seemed to be just as uncertain about their origin as she was. For a few moments, she contemplated calling her friend, just to ensure that the gift was indeed from him. The Cult of Kahn had been rounded up or so they thought but she was still somewhat more inclined to err on the side of caution. She gave her partner a glance, now somewhat nervous.

Something and she couldn't have said what however caused her to be daring. There was a sense of foreboding as she carefully unzipped the bag, peering inside. In an instant, her word began to spin. The bag was full. The slight clinking noise suddenly made sense. She didn't know what to do, reaching her hand inside, she pulled out five pieces of jewellery. Each of them were eerily familiar. She felt her blood go cold. The bag was literally full. Whilst she wasn't about to pull all of them out to count and make sure that they were all accounted for, she was willing to bet that they were all there.

Panic set in causing her to rummage through desperately for some manner of note or explanation. Her first assumption was a simple one: he had ran away. Why? Hopefully he would tell her in a latter of some sort. Finally, her fingers found a paper inside. She yanked it out desperate for some reassurance. If he told her where he was going, then there might be a chance yet to catch him and stop him. It was a tiny little post-it of a note with two very simple but terrifying words written which caused her heart to stop:

" _Not Adrien._ "

Nathalie stood her ground, even as the young man's expression turned darker. It was hard to describe as anything other than a shadow which seemed to pass over his features. The charm and kindness vanished, replaced with something else that she'd never seen before. In those few moments, he reminded her of his father during his darkest days. He stayed where he was, eyes narrowed contemplating her with a cruel detachment.

"How long have you known?" He asked her coldly.

"A while now." She remained calm, stoic. "I had my doubts as soon as we rescued you. It was too easy..."

"What makes you so sure?"

"Amongst other things, you've lied at least twice tonight. Pointlessly as well…" She answered his question simply. "They didn't want the book or even the other miraculouses, did they? It was Adrien they wanted."

Her statement earned a smirk. Like a child who had misbehaved but felt no remorse for their actions, he smiled. Being caught out didn't seem to phase him. The challenge posed even seemed to bring something of a thrill. Another glance over towards Plagg confirmed her worst fears. She'd never seen the kwami look quite so terrified as he did now. His eyes were wide but his mouth had vanished. His silence suddenly made some sinister sense. Whilst the assistant might not know for sure what the matter was, her natural instinct was to run. There was something behind his eyes which she couldn't quite place and frankly didn't want to.

"And yet here you are..."

"Here I am." That single statement was harder to get out than she could imagine. "Don't make the mistake of thinking you're the first monster I've been faced with."

"All this from a few white lies?"

"If you really do want to know: it was Marinette. Adrien would never and I mean _never_ have gone round to her house like that. Not after she had confessed that she was tired."

"I weighed up the risks. Last thing I wanted was her putting up a fight and _maman_ and _papa_ coming running in." A cruel smirk made its way onto his features. "She's quite pathetic really. You all are. What the guardians would say if they could see what the miraculous holders have become… You're not even shadows."

"Maybe… But you can't do what you want, now can you?"

In a flash, his expression clouded over. Her words had hit their mark. Now, he was angry. That wasn't exactly a reassuring conclusion to come to.

There was something dangerous behind his eyes as he got to his feet, pushing himself up from the windowsill. He covered the space between them quickly, taking long strides but not rushing for all of that. The young man didn't even blink, he kept his gaze focused upon her. Every bone in her body demanded that she turn and flee. Instinct was a powerful thing, capable of detecting a threat and acting appropriately when sometimes the mind might try and struggle against. It took all of her self-control to stand still, trying not to let her fear show. Even when Adrien cast a long shadow over her, standing so close as to force her to practically bend backwards to avoid them butting heads.

"Think you're clever?"

"I think I don't have anything to lose right now." She summoned her courage so as to look him in the eye.

"No…" He reached out so as to pluck her glasses off, placing them on the table. "I suppose you're right."

He gave no warning. Simply lashing out, dealing a powerful punch to her stomach. It knocked the wind out of her. She couldn't breathe, unable even to try and fill her lungs with any more oxygen. The pain was enough to cause the woman's legs to buckle. He hadn't been gentle, the intent was to cause her suffering, that much was clear. Desperately, she clutched at her abdomen, trying her best to recover. It took a few seconds before she was finally able to take a breath of air. Her muscles remained tense and tender however, leaving her on her knees struggling with the urge to scream. Nathalie wasn't accustomed to physical violence. She'd never been much of a fighter. The miraculous of the peacock had given her the strength to defend herself and her allies but as a civilian, she was never going to be able to stand up to Adrien.

Gathering her wits ever-so-slightly, she managed to raise her gaze to meet the young man. He seemed to have walked off and was now only a few feet away. His back was turned, seemingly indifferent for the suffering that he had caused.

"Plagg… Claws out."

It wasn't the usual enthusiastic and excited cry but rather something lower, more in control, more sinister. There was a familiar flash of green light. Adrien disappeared, giving way for Cat Noir. He stood there for a moment, still with his back turned. It was only when she was powerless to hold back a whimper, that he finally spun on his heels, a cruel smile occupying his face. He seemed to hesitate however, rocking back and forth on his heels for a moment as he contemplated her. Apparently, her suffering meant precious little to him. If anything, he seemed to be enjoying it.

"So… You stole my miraculous." He looked at her, tilting his head to such an angle that it was practically upside down. "Hm… You even got rid of your own."

Gasping, the woman forced herself to try and get to her feet. Her legs were physically shaking from the shock and pain. For a few moments, she found herself wondering if he might have succeeded in shattering some of her bones. That seemed unlikely however she realized. As strong as the punch had been, he'd also aimed carefully. He'd targetted her stomach as opposed to her bones. It had been intended to hurt but not cause permanent or life threatening injury. More than once, she'd watched the young man train on practice dummies explaining the theory to her. That had been Adrien… This person was a stranger to her.

He came back over, causing her to shudder. In her current state, she didn't stand a chance of escaping. Without a miraculous, Cat Noir had the clear advantage here. He didn't seem to be menacing, more relaxed, back in control of the anger which had initially taken over him.

"Of course… If you ran, you knew I'd suspect something." He placed a hand on her back almost comfortingly as he squeezed her shoulder. "How clever! A shame you're going to regret it!"

His words didn't match the almost joyful tone with which he spoke them. His grip abruptly tightened. She didn't have time to respond with anything more than a pained and alarmed gasp. A few seconds later, she found herself sailing through the air. It wasn't something that she had a great deal of time to process. She saw the room pass her by quickly.

The next thing was a sharp pain in her back followed swiftly by another in her right leg. There was the sound of something breaking. Thankfully not bone, this sounded more like wood splintering and giving way. The pain was enough to stun her. For a few seconds, she teetered on the brink of unconsciousness. The world was spinning and she once more couldn't breathe. She simply closed her eyes, unable to even think. Lying there, in the remnants of a small wooden tea table, to the untrained eye, she could have appeared to be dead. It was only after her body physically screamed for oxygen that she dared to take a deep breath. It came out as a weak wheeze.

She was scarcely even aware of the man coming back over towards her. He walked a little faster this time, not about to give her the time that she needed to recover. Instead, he stormed over to her. What little strength she still possessed was summoned by her instinct which demanded that she get out here or at the very least that she didn't just lie there helplessly. Shaking, she was just about able to drag herself back onto her feet by the time that Cat Noir had reached her.

"Wh-Who are you?" She hoped that her question might buy her a precious few more seconds.

"Guess..." The man looked down dangerously at her.

"Kahn?"

"You should have run Nathalie!"

He neither confirmed nor denied her statement which for the time being she was going to assume meant that she was right. She didn't question the physics of it, being too distracted by the kick that he dealt her which toppled her over onto her back. She made a brief if futile attempt to get back up again. It was stopped instantly however as the young man placed a foot on top of her shoulder, physically grinding her into the ground.

The woman let out a brief cry of protest which was cut short by her attacker placing his knee atop her windpipe, cutting off the oxygen supply. She gasped, clawing at his knee in an attempt to get him to allow her to breathe. This close, she could see the unbridled rage behind his eyes. He was angry, yes but not entirely out of control. The true terror struck her as she realized that he wasn't simply lashing out and throwing something of a tantrum having been denied his precious miraculouses but instead knew full-well what he was doing. Perhaps even intending to kill her here and now.

"You think that giving your life will make up for your past actions? Pathetic. Believe me, there's no redemption for people like you and me."

"I never said that there was..." Despite everything, Nathalie managed to croak the few syllables out.

In a flash, his expression changed. The rage vanished in a second or rather, it was pushed back. Instead, a twisted smile took its place. In its own way, it was every bit as monstrous. Something about the current situation had struck him as amusing. About five minutes into a cohabitation with Kahn, she was already beginning to get a feel for what made the man tick. Anything which caused him to grin in such a way was something that she should fear. He sat backwards on his heels, removing some of the pressure form her throat, allowing her to take a few breaths at least a little more easily. She did so, gasping in order to fill her lungs with oxygen whilst her tormentor decided to be generous enough to let her breathe. Closing her eyes, she tried her best to regain some sense of herself. The pain was still omnipresent, preventing her from moving, it truly felt as if she had been hit by a truck.

She couldn't have said how much time had passed. The young man seemed to have decided to leave her in peace, to give her some time to recover perhaps. She didn't question why, preferring to take advantage of the brief reprieve. With every passing moment, the initial numbness brought on by shock was fading away, reminding her that she was not meant to be thrown around like some kind of rag doll. She couldn't even begin to muster the presence of mind to begin to try and assess the damage done. The woman tried her best to block everything else out. She was powerless to prevent a pained groan from escaping her lips as her ribs throbbed violently, her left hand instinctively travelled to the part which hurt the most gripping around the area. It did little to alleviate her suffering.

She felt something soothing brushing against her forehead. Her eyes opened just a crack, enough for her to peer out, barely even conscious. Her vision was blurry, her missing glasses were no doubt in part to blame. Still, she managed to make out the young man crouched next to her. He stroked the side of her face. It was a soft, tentative action, gentle seemingly intended to be comforting. Her mind demanded that she try to flee, to get away from this man who was very clearly not Adrien. Her body however remained heavy, unwilling to move any further, essentially trapping her. Terror once more gripped her, leaving her powerless but to stare fearfully awaiting whatever was to come next. She couldn't hide it, he would have picked up on it, seeing it as a weakness just waiting to be exploited. Try as she might, she was helpless in the face of him.

"Where are the miraculouses?" His voice was silky smooth, alluring. It was a polite request, one which a part of her demanded she surrender to.

"No..." It was all that her body would allow her to whisper out.

Instantly, he stopped his tender and caring action. Instead, he very steadily placed a hand flat over her eye so that his fingers were resting on her forehead, somewhere above her left eyebrow. They seemed to linger there for a moment, hovering ominously for a couple of seconds, giving her a chance to think matters over once more. In a flash, he curled his fingers, digging his nails - closer to claws as Cat Noir - into her flesh. She let out an involuntary yelp of pain which she was powerless to prevent. Adrenaline pumping back through her body once more, she desperately tried to get away. Her attacker's free left hand wrapped itself around her neck and the base of her jaw holding them in place. She felt his weight, his knee resting on her chest and the other on her right arm, pinning her down. Only her left arm was free. Instinctively, it tried desperately to pry off his iron grip, tugging at the hand currently cutting into her in an attempt to get him to release. Her efforts barely seemed to register as anything more than a minor nuisance to the man. His green eyes glared down pitilessly at her. Flexing the muscles of his digits, digging them ever deeper into the skin, he earned another cry of protest. It was enough to convince her to stop her struggling, hoping that by playing possum her attacker might relent his torture of her.

Her breaths were rapid, terrified and pained. Time seemed to stand still. She could feel beads of blood beginning to trickle down the side of her head originating from the punctures. He forced her to look up at him, so that her eyes had nowhere else to rest but his own. She had given up with trying to appear brave. Instead, she contented herself with simply ensuring that no tears worked their way into her vision.

"Where are the miraculouses?" He repeated once more, his tone harsher, more impatient.

Her lower lip quivered. Instinct demanding that she give it up. Who were they to her anyhow? Just a bunch of kids! A bunch of kids who had gotten her sent to prison for the best part of a decade at that. She clenched her jaw tightly, her body stiffening as she prepared for what she knew was about to come.

Without giving her any more time to think about the matter, he dragged his nails down her skin, ensuring that they dug in as deeply as possible, shredding her face as they went. It was almost like someone scratching a chalkboard with their nails. Instead of an unbearable screeching noise however it was the sound of her screams which echoed through the room. It was impossible to hold them in. She struggled, trying to get away. She could feel the blood cascading down her face, forcing her to close her eye and threatening to work its way into her nose or mouth. He moved slowly, ensuring that the pain was drawn out as much as possible:

"I said: WHERE ARE THE MIRACULOUSES?!"

The yell was almost deafening in its intensity. Yet she didn't answer. Even if she wanted to, it was unlikely that she would have been able to find the strength to do so. She was shaking from a mixture of shock and pain by the time he was finished, the man dragged his claws until the end of her jaw bone, finishing the action with a violent tug before finally releasing her. She simply looked up at him, fearing the worse.

Yet nothing more came. He simply sat there, looking down at her, perhaps expecting her to abruptly change her mind.

Everything became… _Strange_ for lack of a better word. She felt dizzy. Her mind was spinning and yet somehow, it was almost as if she was disconnected from her body. At the very least, she could no longer control her limbs. Even her head, fell limply to the side as her attacker finally removed his claws from her flesh. The sensation was that of an icy cold which none-the-less was more than capable of burning. She could feel that her face was wet, she still had the presence of mind to associate it being her blood which was now flowing out abundantly. From some reason, it no longer seemed to concern her that much. It was just one of these things which she couldn't help, like so much in her life it seemed. The weight on top of her shifted slightly as Adrien-Kahn sat up. He examined the tips of his fingers, drenched in crimson up to the middle in some cases, with a strange fascination, as if he'd never seen the substance before. Her blurred vision made it a challenge to focus on him.

His gaze travelled back down to focus on her once more after a few minutes. He met her with a cruel and tormenting grin which managed to send a shiver down her spine. In those few seconds, with the moonlight shining down and the blood staining his hand, he truly looked like some kind of a demon.

"Hmph." The monster of a man huffed with amusement. "I didn't think that you were that brave."

He flicked his fingers, sending a few splatters of blood flying onto the undamaged side of her face.

He must have been able to sense that he wouldn't get much more out of her and that she no longer posed much of a threat as he released her a second later, getting back to his feet. She simply lay there, gasping for breath and wishing to no longer be aware of what was going on. The world had become a decidedly dark place, one which she struggled to make out any longer. The lack of her glasses was no doubt partly to blame for that. Still, she managed to keep track of the figure as he paced in what now seemed like the darkness. From time to time, he would glance back over to her, almost as if to check that she was still there.

"What to do with you… What to do with you..." He muttered after some time just loudly enough so that she could hear, turning back towards her. "So many possibilities, I'm almost tempted to try them all or maybe we should just get this over and done with. What do you think Nat?"

She was saved by his phone going off of all things.

Adrien jumped, apparently surprised by the phone. He looked around as if searching for some hidden enemy. It was his own ringtone. Surely he could recognise it or maybe Kahn didn't, if he was the one now in control. It wasn't something which she was in a state to reflect upon. Eventually, he spotted the device left carelessly on one of the tables. Presumably he had had other things on his mind when he'd dumped it there, namely going after the miraculous which he had perhaps assumed belonged to him.

He reached out for it but stopped himself, smiling bemusedly for a moment as he looked at the blood still coated it before switching, opting to pick the phone up with his left hand. His eyes widened upon seeing who was on the other other end of the line, still he answered all the same:

"Hey there Marinette!" Adrien's voice, the childish innocence took over once more. "What's up? After today, I'd have thought you would be in bed!"

"Hey Adrien…" She tried her best not to hesitate or to let any of her concern shine through. "It's nothing much. I don't want to bore you but Jagged had this idea for a music video with a super flashy jacket. He just wanted to go through some figures with Nathalie, is she around?"

"Nathalie? She's busy. Give me the message and I'll pass it to her."

His cold eyes came to rest on her for a moment, a cruel smirk distorting his features once more. His face had become blurry as the world began to spin. Her mind was beginning to fade, making it difficult to concentrate on anything in particular. From time to time, she might wheeze or splutter, her body painfully reminding her that it had just been beaten to a pulp and that she really should be on her way to the nearest hospital. Ironically, because of the way her brain worked, she was still able to recall just where that was, as well as the phone number – something she had learned should an akuma attack ever turn nasty. She also knew that the chances of her getting there were nil.

 _Am I dying?.._ A strange thought to cross her mind as she lay there. Another, perhaps more out of place given what's happening to her, as she watched the blood trickle away, forming a pool around her face is " _who's going to clean this up?_ ". Her gaze flickered round to see Adrien, he was gesturing for her to be quiet, a finger over his lips all the while trying to deal with a very insistent and increasingly desperate Marinette.

"What's this all about Marinette?" Adrien asked eventually, his voice was soft still, hiding the monster underneath. "You're beginning to worry me."

"..." There was a pause from the other end, as the young woman took a deep breath, summoning her courage. "You tell me."

In a flash, Adrien vanished once more. He was instead replaced by whatever had taken over him. His expression changed, the same cold harshness returning, twisting his features as a darkness settled in behind his eyes. He abandoned all pretences, allowing the world to see just what he truly was. Even going so far as to let out a bemused 'huff', as if the game had now ceased being amusing and was now somewhat beneath him. He flexed his right hand, perhaps digging its claws into yet another unsuspecting imaginary victim. This was a source of amusement for him: trickery, plotting and cruelty. Now things promised to become far more complicated and perhaps he relished the promise of the challenge.

"Looks like you caught me Bugaboo."

"She was right…" Marinette muttered horrified. "Where's Nathalie?!"

"Why don't you come and rescue her, you'd like that wouldn't you Nat?"

She didn't respond, too far gone to be able to mutter anything other than a couple of brief syllables. Already, she could feel herself beginning to lose consciousness. In a minute or so, she would be out. Whether or not she would awaken after that she couldn't say.

On the other end of the phone, Marinette let out a quiet gasp, already fearing the worse. The sound of her concern, was enough to earn a brief chuckle from Adrien. The young woman couldn't speak. In truth, she didn't know what was going on. With only a little piece of paper with two words scribbled on them, she'd dialled his number, not knowing what else to do. Now she found herself talking to someone or something that she couldn't identify. All that she knew was that it wasn't the young man that she loved. Her mouth dry, she did all that she could to channel her inner Ladybug in order to ask:

"Who are you?"

"Oh, you'll work it out. Until then, I look forwards to our next meeting, Bugaboo. You know where to find me."

He hung up, leaving her sitting there in a state of shock. Tikki floated next to her her concern only too clear to see. For a while, neither said or did anything. They had a pile of miraculous on the bed, stolen from right under Adrien's nose by Nathalie no doubt. Was she even still alive? It was impossible to say without going there to find out. For the time being, it sounded like the young man had no plans on coming to seek them out. Instead, it sounded like he had given them something of an invitation.

"We need to get to the others..." Marinette eventually roused herself from her thoughts. "Let them know what's going on. They could be in danger."

"They almost certainly are." Confirmed her kwami.

She was shaking slightly as she pushed herself up off of her bed. She send some quick texts, alerting her friends to her imminent arrival and warning them to whatever happened, not let Adrien in. She'd explain later – there wasn't time right now - but for the time being they had to stay away from him and Cat Noir. After that, she honestly didn't know what they would do… Fight? Run? Save their friend?

Taking to the streets, Ladybug couldn't help but give a glance towards where the Agreste Mansion was, wondering what manner of monster might be living there now.

It was dark inside the corridors of the mansion. Nathalie couldn't quite figure out why the lights weren't on. In truth, everything seemed to be blurry, faint and somewhat unreal. She didn't know what had happened but she was impossibly weak. Somehow though, she was moving. She drifted in an out of consciousness. One side of her face still felt as if it was on fire. Groaning softly, she turned her head. Even that seemed to require far more strength that she felt that she currently possessed. Still, she had to know just what was happening. She found herself staring up at a familiar face, carrying her through the corridors. He glanced down at her, taking note of the fact that she was now conscious. A wicked smile made its way onto his face.

"Don't die now Nathalie, you'd spoil the fun!"

That was right… She was in the company of a demon now.

 ** _/_**

 ** _Thanks for the review!_**


	20. To go to war

They were in a state of rather controlled panic.

Controlled in that they were relatively well organised when it came to fleeing their respective residences. Marinette dropped by Nino and Alya's first. They didn't have the bodyguards or protection that were present at the Mayor's residence. If Adrien went after anyone, it would be them. Take out two unprotected miraculous holders without anyone noticing… She found them however packed and ready to leave but otherwise unharmed. She gave them their miraculouses, they took their belongings and followed her. It was a similar story where Chloe was concerned.

They were safe from whatever had taken over Adrien. Perhaps he had been being honest when he'd invited them to seek him out. In which case, they would have to plan their next moves incredibly carefully. It wasn't something that they discussed. Instead, the group of four youths darted over the rooftops. They didn't have a particular destination in mind asides from somewhere where they could sit down and talk for a bit. They couldn't go home. They didn't want to run the risk of Cat Noir paying their families a visit. Scared, they wandered over the rooftops, ignoring the chill of the evening.

Finally, they found themselves settling down in an old building. It was disused, likely going to be torn down at any moment in the future but for the time being, it provided some much needed shelter for the frazzled group. At least, it would save them looking over their shoulders all the time, fearing the sight of an enemy clad in black with bright green eyes pouncing down upon them.

The group caught their breath. Both literally and metaphorically. Marinette felt somewhat guilty for not having told them more about what was going on but she simply hadn't had the opportunity. They formed a circle. All remained silent for a few minutes. Trying to come to terms with what had just happened and waiting until their heart rates lowered slightly so that they would be able to process things properly. She hesitated a moment before slipping the small rucksack off of her back and dumping it in front of them so that they could see the contents.

Very cautiously, her friends rummaged through. They would pick up one of the jewels before putting it back in the pile. There was no need to make a list. They could tell that all of the miraculouses usually contained within the box were now here, in this bag. Even more worryingly, the peacock broach was amongst them. Nathalie was defenceless. They contemplated the pile for a while before Alya slowly looked up to Ladybug and asked:

"Where did you get these?"

"Nathalie…" Marinette muttered quietly under her breath. "She must have figured out something was wrong. She dropped them in my room when I wasn't looking."

"And..." Chloe hesitated before speaking. "What about Adrien? What's happened to him?"

She couldn't answer that question immediately. If only because she didn't know. She'd replayed the events in her mind and she still can't understand what was going on. It was almost impossible to do so as everything had happened so quickly.

Even on the phone last night, when she'd talked to him, for the first few minutes, she'd been convinced that it was him. It had been the same affectionate, somewhat innocent voice. Then it had changed into a flash into something cruel, taunting her. That had been a man whom she didn't recognize. It wasn't even Hawk Moth although it had been enough to send a shiver down her spine as she'd listed to his invitation to come and face him. There were many possibilities, some more appealing that others.

"I don't know." She let out in a sigh. "I don't know if he's possessed, if it's a clone or if he's just gone mad!"

She didn't want to believe that was the real Adrien Agreste talking. A clone wasn't necessarily any better and she had a hard time imagining just how it would be possible in so short a time. Possessed? Their only previous encounters with possessed people had been akumas. With the butterfly miraculous accounted for, it couldn't be the cause of the problem. They would need to ask the kwamis and even they might not be able to provide much assistance given that they had so very little to base themselves on. Still shaking slightly, she changed back to Marinette. Tikki knew what had happened, the others, like their partners would need explaining to.

They wanted to know what exactly had happened. She told them everything that she knew. Beginning from Adrien's bizarre visit, which upon reflection had been somewhat peculiar. She had dismissed his attitude as being a result of the ordeal he had just gone through, not questioning it any more than that. She hadn't been exactly in her usual mindset either. Then had come Nathalie's blood chilling message and the phone call. That brought them roughly back up to scratch.

"Where is she?" Nino spoke quietly, fearing the answer.

"I- I think he might have killed Nathalie."

A terrible thought but one which had been troubling her for some time. There was little doubt in her mind that the man she had talked to on the other end of the line was more than capable of taking a life. Nathalie had betrayed him. Probably depriving him of a victory by stealing the miraculouses from right under his nose. After that, she'd sacrificed even her own jewel, leaving herself defenceless should he turn his rage against her. He almost certainly had judging by what he had said and that the assistant was still unaccounted for.

At any rate, she was unlikely to be able to help them.

Chloe shifted uncertainly, unsure how respond to the bombshell. The prospect of a murder was enough to cause all their blood to turn cold. It was one that they chose to dismiss, reasoning that she would be more use to him alive than dead. Finally, after contemplating a thought which had been circulating in her mind since they had seen all of the miraculous in the bag, the mayor's daughter spoke:

"Wouldn't Duusuu know? I get that she must have taken the broach off but up until then?"

"Great idea Chloe!" The compliment from her former rival was genuine.

They carefully got out the peacock broach. It was a miraculous which stirred many memories. At least two of its previous owners had used its powers against them: first Nathalie and then Emilie Agreste. As such, it was difficult to imagine it being used as anything other than a weapon for evil. Even recently when they'd witnessed Mayura in action, she'd still seemed to be rather intimidating. That blue skin and pale purple eyes just didn't quite seem to be human… Still, it wasn't the fault of the kwami. Duusuu couldn't help what her respective masters had had her do.

They called the kwami out carefully. Duusuu appeared on command although looked to be disorientated. It must have been strange to awaken in a place like this. The way that her eyes darted around, confused and evidently concerned. Upon spotting them however, she seemed to relax somewhat, letting out a sigh:

"Thank goodness it's you!"

"Duusuu… What happened with Nathalie?"

"Of course, she wanted me to tell you. She was really scared." The creature paused as if to ensure that they were all here. "Adrien… He isn't himself."

"We know." Marinette pressed hoping that kwami might be able to give them more information than just that. "Did she tell you anything?"

"He'd lied and wasn't keeping his oaths. She just had a bad feeling. She wanted to keep the miraculouses away from him. So when he left, she brought them to you, Marinette."

Hardly helpful. She could have worked that much out by herself. It would seem that the assistant had simply noticed some things which they hadn't, cluing her in and allowing her to steal the jewels before they could be misused.

Marinette suspected that they wouldn't get far like this. It was evident that nobody was entirely sure just what had happened to their friend. The only way that they would know is upon confronting him. That was a task none of them could particularly face right now nor did they even want to envision the implications of having to battle Adrien. It wasn't just the physical aspect, Cat Noir was a ferocious adversary but also close to them. They hadn't known who lay behind Hawk Moth and Mayura's masks. If they had, no doubt they would have had some of the same issues about confronting them.

They had to act however. The power of the cat miraculous was too dangerous to leave in the hands of someone who had clearly lost their mind one way or another. It wasn't something that the young woman even wanted to think about right now. The first thing that they had to do was find somewhere safe for them to hide the miraculous so as to ensure that there was no possible way that Adrien could get his hands on any of the ones which they weren't currently using.

"We can't say here..." Marinette declared upon reflection. "Maybe for tonight but we're going to need a better place to hide."

"Think he's coming after us?" Chloe asked glancing nervously out of the window.

"He doesn't need to. He knows we're going to have to go to him." Alya answered shaking her head slightly.

She was right. There was one thing they couldn't do and that was leave Adrien in his current state loose around Paris. He still had the Miraculous of the cat. That was enough for him to level the city if given enough time. Certainly, he could kill almost whoever he chose and it was unlikely that the authorities would be able to do anything to stop him.

That did however mean that they would have to come up with a plan, an attack plan. With three miraculous holders to defeat, Adrien would be unlikely to attack them. He would sit tight. Wait until they came to him. It was almost always easier to defend than attack and they had discovered that the Agreste Mansion was built like a fortress. He would make their lives a misery, even more so because she doubted that in his current state he would have any qualms about killing them. As Cat Noir, all he needed to do was touch one of them once, even the briefest of brushes would prove fatal if he used his fearsome Cataclysm.

"So, we're like going to attack him?" It was Nino who first brought up the subject.

"We can't." Marinette shaking her head negatively. "He might be expecting it. He could kill Nathalie. If she's still alive..."

"She probably is..." Tikki declared sounding reassuringly confident. "Adrien wouldn't kill her. Even if she means nothing to him. She's more valuable to him alive."

It was hard to fault the logic and somewhat comforting.

On the other hand it presented them with a new problem: a hostage. He would inevitably hide behind her. It was fair to assume that without Duusuu, Nathalie was helpless. It made her surrender of her miraculous all the more incomprehensible. She had given up her only chance to fight back. Perhaps she had assumed that if she didn't pose a threat she would be spared or that at least he wouldn't have another potential weapon. Then why not run?

They would have a thousand questions to ask her when they got her back. There was so much uncertainty about the current situation that it made even considering acting a virtual impossibility. One step in the wrong direction and they would get themselves and Nathalie killed, essentially handing the world over to Adrien, be he mad, possessed or a clone. Without knowing what was wrong with their friend, it made it hard to see a solution. At least with akuma victims, they'd worked things out relatively quickly. Right now, they didn't know.

"We have to get Nathalie out somehow, if she's still alive to rescue. Once she's safe, we can concentrate on Adrien." Marinette eventually summarized to the group.

"How are we going to do that?" Chloe questioned nervously. "We can't exactly walk in there ourselves."

It was a major issue. They couldn't walk in. Adrien would be expecting that. Equally, she wasn't confident in their ability to sneak inside of the building and find the woman. They needed a new approach. Someone who could get inside and wouldn't arose suspicion. That in itself would be a challenge. Nobody went into the Agreste mansion. The son was about as strict as his parents had been in that regard. That severely limited their options.

She thought about the matter long and hard. It would be impossible for any of their group to sneak into the building. They couldn't disguise themselves and scout out the situation from there…

A solution slowly became clear to her but she pushed it to one side in her mind. The implications were simply too horrifying to even begin contemplating. Not for her… She would be quite safe, it was whoever they called for help who would be risking life and limb. They spent over an hour debating the matter, trying to think of alternatives. Anything other than the plan that had already been silently formulated but that none of them dared to utter. It would be both dangerous and in many ways cruel… Still, they found themselves convinced that they didn't have a choice.

"We need help..." Marinette muttered, broken and defeated.

"But who-" Nino spoke quietly unwilling to name any suggestions himself.

"I..." She took a deep breath, trying to prepare herself for what she knew she needed to do. "Know who to ask."

It was a few hours and a brief text message later that saw her waiting quietly by the _quais_. It was cold and her head was intent on reminding her that she was still recovering from a concussion. The others were nearby, watching in silence and ready to intervene should Cat Noir suddenly show herself.

It wasn't long before a young man turned up. He seemed somewhat concerned, eyes wide and rushing as he came towards her. She couldn't even muster something of a reassuring smile. She could tell that he was worried. The young woman had done her best to avoid creating panic but couldn't exactly lie to him. She needed his help. Yes, it was urgent. He had to keep it to himself however. The rest of his family couldn't possibly know. It was a confusing message for her to give him and one which would inevitably cause some nightmare scenarios to make their way into his mind.

As such, he practically shouted at her as he arrived:

"Marinette! What is is! Are you okay? You look awful!"

"I'm fine..." She spoke quietly so as to try and avoid causing trouble. "Luka… I'm sorry to have to drag you into this."

"Into what? What's going on?!"

She let out a sigh, looking around nervously. It might have been late or early, depending on how you counted things but there were still some people around. She couldn't talk too openly about matters here. Unfortunately, Luka seemed to be so worried, so panicked that she reasoned she would have to at least clue him into some of what had happened and why she needed his help right now. The young woman looked him in the eye, hesitating slightly. It was too late to go back now and yet she found herself struggling to continue.

"You've got to promise to keep this a secret. You can't tell your mom or Juleka or Rose… Nobody!" She told him firmly, perhaps sounding somewhat harsh.

"I… Promise?" He didn't sound entirely sure. "Marinette, are you in some kind of trouble?"

"It's… Probably easier if I show you." She took a couple of steps away from him, giving one last look around to ensure that the coast was clear. "Tikki! Spots on!"

There was a familiar flash of light as she allowed her transformation to envelop her. She kept her eyes shut for a few seconds, not daring to see his reaction. Not once had she even dared to mention the possibility of her being Ladybug. They had promised Master Fu that they would never breathe a word of who they once were. They had to keep the secret of the miraculouses. As such, even when her relationship with Luka had become more serious, she had stayed quiet. The akumas were gone now. Hawk Moth and Mayura were behind bars. Paris was safe and their heroes had vanished as quickly as mysteriously as they had first appeared.

In many respects, it had been easier once the mask had fallen and Adrien had left. She'd tried her best to convince herself that it had been a part of a new life. That everything else had been in the past. It made her feel less guilty. Now though, there was no more running of fleeing from it, like it or not, he knew who she was and has been forced to become once more.

She forced herself to open her eyes and face the young man. He'd turned a bit paler. His expression was one of pure shock. She didn't have anything to say to him: no witty comments or apologies for having concealed the truth from him for so long. There had been a time when they had shared everything, even briefly contemplating making their union somewhat more official. Now, Luka can see her, the young woman can only imagine what he must be thinking.

"All this time… You were Ladybug?" He manages eventually, still failing to even blink.

"I was. It's complicated." She let out a heavy sigh, allowing her shoulders to slump. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you but I'm not meant to reveal my identity to anyone. Even right now, I really shouldn't be..."

Luka looked at her uneasily. She struggled to tell just what was going through his mind. Did he feel betrayed? After all, on occasion, he had fought by their side using the power of the snake miraculous. She had known his identity and yet never once during the course of their relationship had she even given the slightest hint of hers. If he chose to be angry at her and refuse to help, she would understand. Many, the young woman imagined, would view it as at the very least a sign of a lack of trust. 

Of course, it was no such thing. She wouldn't have come to her if she didn't have anything but the utmost trust in him. He wasn't to know that of course. Luka was without a shadow of a doubt, one of the people she put the most amount of faith in in the world. He had a good heart and could almost inevitably be relied upon. This was a big ask however and she knew that. Indeed, a part of her hoped that he would refuse. It would keep him safe.

"You..." His voice trailed off for a moment. "What's happening? If you need Viperion then-"

"Actually-" She cuts him short. "It's Luka we need. It's dangerous though. If you don't want to I'll more than understand."

"Mari- Ladybug… You need my help. You've got it. You know I'd do anything for you."

That hurt. She doubted that he intended it to but it did. She almost felt as if she was taking advantage of that love to get him to come along. He did though and she couldn't stop him. Ladybug convinces him to come with her. Standing around exposed like this was only endangering them. If one person saw them and posted something about the return of Paris' heroes online to social media and the game would be up…

He accepted without any protest to follow her to where the others were waiting for them. Before doing so, she became Marinette once more. There was no sense in arousing excess attention and Ladybug could stand out like a sore thumb at times. They were silent on the way back. She could debrief him once they were safe. Luka wasn't even too concerned about his family much to her surprise. He explained a few moments later that they had gone to a music festival in the north of France and wouldn't be back for another week. That was perhaps the first bit of good luck they'd had.

The others were waiting for them. They were nervous, on edge. As soon as they laid eyes on the two young adults, a sense of relief came over them. They were greeted enthusiastically. Marinette had no idea if they'd thought he would accept. Whilst they were familiar with Luka, they didn't know him quite as well as she did. He seemed a little surprised to see them but somehow despite everything managed a smile.

They spent the next twenty minutes explaining everything to him. He listened quietly, taking it all in and only asking a few questions when something evidently didn't quite seem clear to him. It was a lot to dump on the young man. At least he was aware that Adrien Agreste was back in town. His expression soon turned to one of horror when they explained just what had happened only a few hours earlier. They couldn't offer as many explanations as they would have liked given that they themselves struggled to comprehend just what had happened.

"So… You're saying Adrien's possessed? Mad?" Luka managed after a while, trying to sum everything up.

"We don't know yet." Marinette confessed quietly. "We just know he's not himself and that he needs to be stopped."

Luka seemed unsettled, it was easy to understand why. The prospect of going up against Cat Noir was a daunting one. They hadn't quite explained just what they were expecting from him. Perhaps he presumed that they just needed an extra pair of hands to tackle battling their new friend. So they told him about Nathalie. That seemed to enlighten him somewhat. Behind his eyes, it was clear that he had guessed what they were going to ask of him or at least had something of a suspicion of it. He wasn't an idiot.

"We can't do anything until she's safe." Ladybug informed him regardless.

"So you need someone Adrien won't recognise to try and get her out."

They didn't answer. It was their best option. They would sneak in themselves but the chances of him noticing them were too great. Rena's illusions were unlikely to last long enough, if they could even fool him to begin with. Their best option was to send someone in to try and rescue her or at the very least to try and access if she was even still alive. It was a terrible risk. One wrong move and in the best case scenario their enemy would have two captives. That was if he was lucky, Cat Noir could turn Luka Couffaine into a pile of ash in a heartbeat if he so chose.

In essence, they were asking him to risk his life.

"I'll do it." Marinette opened her mouth, ready to remind him that there was nobody forcing him to do it. "Don't try to talk me out of it Mari… We've got to stop this."

She offered him a small smile. Words couldn't do justice to just how grateful she was. She only hoped that it wasn't too late.


	21. The Devil's assistant

Pain. That was the first thing that Nathalie felt upon awakening. Something was hurting her leg, periodically impacting it roughly.

Despite that, she didn't want to wake up and fought against whatever was trying to force her awake with all of her might. Even if she had wanted to wake up, she wasn't entirely convinced that she would be able to. The woman could scarcely move. It was as if something had drained all of her strength. At most, she was able to shift awkwardly. Even her head rolled uselessly, her neck refusing to bear its weight. The most she could manage was to open one of her eyes a crack. The right only, for some reason, the left was decidedly unresponsive. What little she could see was to faint and blurry to make out. Everything would spin, forcing her to shut it once more so as to block out the confusion.

Still, the pain in her leg was a nagging one and because it was coming from an external source as opposed to being her body, she found herself compelled to make the effort to see just what was tormenting her. Although at this point, she was rather resigned to the fact that she couldn't do anything about it.

"Wake up!"

If she was entertaining any notion of trying to find some more rest which she desperately needed, it was quickly dismissed by the harsh tone of whoever was there with her. Groaning, she forced her eyes open. Without her glasses, much of the world was blurry. She could make out the form of a young man. Golden hair and green eyes, she recognized him instantly. For a few moments, she forgot about him, closing her eyes and beginning to slip away once more. It was Adrien… Just Adrien.

A sharper kick brought her to once more, causing her to gasp in pain. She looked to him, not understanding. Whilst her eyes might not be up to the challenge, she was able to pick up on the amused hum that the man let out and everything came back to her. It was terror which she felt as she found herself brutally thrown back into last night. She remembered each of the blows, reminding herself of just how she had come to be in such a state. In a flash, the pain on the side of her face came back, violent as ever.

"Back with me?" Came the taunting voice of Kahn.

She can't answer him.

Her mouth is dry and her face too painful to move, specifically the left side of it. Instead, she lets out a weak groan. She's powerless to prevent it. It's a desperate request for water. The young man approached. Staring down at her with a bemused expression, she actually heard him snicker. In response, she tried to move. Her right arm was handcuffed to the radiator, ensuring that she couldn't possibly escape. Not that she was in any state to do so. She wants to curse him, to let him know just what she's going through right now. Only a few vague mutterings make it past her lips.

The man unlocked her shackles freeing her. Her gaze flicked around, trying to find any clue as to just where she was. To her surprise, it was somewhere familiar. Adrien's bedroom to be specific. She struggles to remember just what had happened and how she had ended up her.

Her thoughts were disrupted by the young man slipping an arm around her shoulders so as to pull her to her feet. She couldn't fight or even protest, finding herself too weak. Had he released her, she would likely have fallen to the ground, her legs unable to bear her own weight. As it was, he guided her through the room and into the bathroom. There, he released her once more. She had just enough time to catch herself on the sink. Using it to brace herself. The woman turned to face Adrien, teeth gritted to ensure that she didn't let out any more complaints.

"Get yourself cleaned up and then meet me downstairs." He instructed coldly. "You have fifteen minutes."

Another thing that she didn't have was a choice… The woman nodded a few times. Struggling to catch her breath.

She could have collapsed after he closed the door. Her body wasn't ready to start moving around just yet. Maybe after a century's worth of rest, then she might be more open to it. Reminding herself that it wasn't Adrien but rather Kahn who had presented her with the demand in the first place, she decided against any notion of being brave and defiant. Instead, limping her way into the shower. She did her best to wash away the traces of the night before. Whilst the blood might drain away, the wounds remained. None of them were terribly serious or particularly endangered her life but they would definitely cause her to suffer for some time.

She did all that she could to treat them. Without her glasses, she couldn't make them out all that well. Some, she didn't particularly want to. The series of cuts running across her face were grizzly, a quick glance lets her know that they won't be healing any time soon. She'll be scarred, disfigured. There's no doubt about that much. The woman tries to console herself about that fact by telling herself that she's fortunate to still have her eye. The wounds, she suspected will likely only be a temporary nuisance. Given who she was now sharing a house with, she had largely resigned herself to the fact that she couldn't expect to live much longer.

The fact that he hadn't killed her last night is a mixture of a surprise and a concern to her. What could he possibly still want?

Dressing herself, the assistant made her way back towards the lounge. She was forced to brace herself on the wall as she went, using it for much needed support. She'd landed on her side during the – it wasn't really a fight, more of a beating – last night. It made walking a difficult task. Her weakness is such that even the relatively short distance separating Adrien's room from where she needs to be proved to be something of an endurance test.

She entered the room apprehensively. It was almost impossible to guess just what might be waiting for her. It was far from impossible that Kahn or whoever he was might simply be lying in wait, prepared to strike her down. She tried to be brave. Forcing herself tentatively through the threshold.

"Ah! Nathalie! Come, do sit down." The young man was sitting on the couch and patted the seat next to him invitingly. "How's the eye?"

In truth, it wasn't much worse than the other one. Without her glasses, her vision was sub-par to say the least. She wasn't too sure why he'd taken them from her. To ensure that she didn't pose a threat at all or perhaps to ensure that they weren't damaged during the thrashing? She wasn't about to question him. Choosing instead to remain quiet. Even straying away from the wall was something of a challenge in her mind. She hesitated, torn between obeying the man's command and her instinct demanding that she keep a distance.

Finally, it was the pain in her leg which prompted her to take a chance. She couldn't stand for much longer. So it was that she sat next to her enemy. Her body was tense. There was little that she would be able to do if he abruptly turned on her. Last night had been proof of that. Her only consolation was that he would likely have attacked her before now if he intended to either inflict more pain or to kill her.

Her unease must have been evident. It was hard to conceive of her being anything other than concerned by the turn of events. As she heard the man next to her chuckle lowly. He took a sick pleasure in dragging all of the uncertainty out. Whatever her fate was to be, Nathalie would much rather have been informed of it here and now as opposed to being left to wonder. Maybe that was the intention, to terrify her.

"Are you scared?"

"Of you? Yes of course I am."

She saw no point in lying or trying to pretend that she was any braver than she was. She wasn't that sort of person at any rate and wasn't about to give him a reason to test her assertions.

Adrien smirked but didn't comment. Plagg was nearby. Silent as ever. His new master must have banned him from speaking. Nathalie knew well that kwami's couldn't go against those who held their jewels. She'd witnessed it first hand with Gabriel and Nooroo and then subjected Duusuu to something similar. It wasn't something she was all that proud of. Now, she was fully aware that the creature was little more than a spectator. He could do nothing more than watch. Nobody would rescue her.

"I think its important that you and I know where to stand in regards to one another." The man declared after a few moments.

"You almost killed me." She reminded him. "I know where I stand."

"Don't exaggerate!" It was an almost playful rebuff. "If I wanted to "almost kill" you, you my dear, wouldn't be sitting here having this conversation with me. Keep that in mind."

Adrien's voice. Not his words.

She didn't know what to say. Remaining silent seemed like the best option. She wasn't about to try and negotiate, given that she plainly didn't have a leg to stand on. If Kahn wanted her dead, he could and would kill her. Right now, he didn't seem intent on spilling any more of her blood. She wasn't entirely sure just what he was playing at but was quite keen not to provoke him. There was little doubt in her mind that this was being tone to torment her, allowing her to wonder just what he was intending.

As the silence drew out however. She found herself struggling to bear it. At times, Nathalie had liked to think of herself as being relatively brave, at the very least fatalistic. Truth be told, she'd rather been expecting him to cut her down as soon as he'd learned of her betrayal. Instead, for some unknown reason, she found herself still alive. Battered, cut and bruised but still alive.

"So what are you going to do with me?" She asked eventually, unable to conceal her worry.

"You? You're going to do whatever I tell you to." He pauses for a few moments, letting it set in. "If I tell you to mop the floors, you mop the floors. If I want you to make my dinner, you make my dinner. Simple enough, right?"

She bit her lower lip, not attempting to shield her discomfort with the situation. Albeit, she fancied that things could have been worse. He could have intended to kill her. No doubt that wasn't entirely off of the cards. What else could she do but agree? At this point, she didn't have a leg to stand on. More or less literally, her limb hurt so badly, even the fabric of her jeans resting against her bruised and tender flesh caused her teeth to grind together.

There was no argument to be given. No refusal or defiance left for her to master. All she can do is sit there and try and make some sort of sense of it all. Kahn waited patiently, lying back in the couch, relaxed. He seemed to be waiting for something, some sort of acknowledgement perhaps?

"So..." She couldn't quite keep the disgust out of her voice. "I'm to be your slave then?"

"Slave. Pet. Play thing..." A cruel smile distorted his features, a glint the likes of which Nathalie had never before seen even in Gabriel Agreste's maddest moments had made its home behind his eyes. "Does it really matter? They're just words."

She felt her stomach turn at the prospect. For a moment, she contemplated rebellion. He could kill her in a heartbeat. Maybe that would be better. She wouldn't be a hostage, someone to hide behind. No doubt that was one of the main reasons for not ending her life. He didn't really need someone to do his bidding. Was this intended to humiliate her? She wasn't about to ask.

The strain of trying to focus on the rest of the world without her glasses caused her to wince. She wanted to rub her eyes and briefly attempted to do so. The stinging of her face was enough to promptly discourage her from doing so. She remained silent, waiting for whatever was to come next. It seemed unlikely that she would have any say in the matter. Adrien/Kahn would likely have a plan of some sort. One which of course she wouldn't be privy to. At this point, at best, she could hope to be left alone. At worst… Well, in all likelihood, she was still to discover that much.

"Why not just kill me?" It's a question which she felt compelled to ask.

"Oh. I might yet." He assured her, with a charming smile. "Adrien however seems to think that you were useful. If you were useful to him, why not to me? After all, you have experience with this sort of thing, don't you?"

"You know the answer to that..." Her eyes narrowed themselves in response.

He drew in closer all of a sudden, a clear threat. Nathalie was quick to pull back, falling off of the couch in the process. It didn't matter if she came across as a coward. Last night had been a demonstration both of what he could do to her and how merciless he would be. Perhaps worse, it had shown her that the young man that she knew and trusted wasn't in control. If he was still in there somewhere, he couldn't do anything to prevent whoever was now in possession of his body from inflicting pain. As such, her natural reaction when she came anywhere near him was to retreat as much as possible.

He heard him laugh. Her leg was playing up, making it difficult for her to get to her feet. He got up himself, kneeling down in front of her. He reached out, grabbing her cheeks, forcing the woman to look at him. Ignoring her gasps of pain as he applied pressure to the sensitive and damaged skin:

"As of right now, your life doesn't belong to you any more. You so much as breathe in a way that dissatisfies me and you will wish I had killed you last night." He reached down to get something out of his pocket, bring it close to her face. "Please me on the other hand and you might just come out of this better off."

To her surprise, he placed her glasses back on her nose for her. The world became clearer. She could make out the face of the young man. Instinctively, she found herself searching for any sort of distinguishing traits which would immediately give away the fact that this wasn't actually Adrien. Asides from the cruel smirk, which strangely he wasn't wearing at this point, he didn't look any different. In fact, he offered her a wonderful smile and for a moment, it almost felt as if she was fixed with the young man once more.

She wanted to flee. Her instinct demanded that she get to her feet and run. Unfortunately, her leg wouldn't allow it. She was terrified but powerless to flee. It caused the young man to laugh as he caught on to her fear. It was joyful, enthusiastic. As if this was all some sort of a joke. He released her, causing her head to roll somewhat. She was dazed, confused. Unsure just what was going to happen.

Instead, Adrien offered or rather took her hand, helping her to her feet. She managed to stand, albeit unsteadily, her legs were shaking as she managed to stand. She turned somewhat helplessly to the man by her side. He leered down at her, taunting and cruel:

"You are mine Nathalie Sancoeur."

A shiver of terror ran down her spine and abruptly, she found herself abandoned, left to stand by herself. She winced, gasping for breath. She couldn't tear her eyes off of the young man. The way he looked at her was different. No longer teasing. It would seem that he was about done with tormenting her for the time being. Now, he was far sterner. He was actually expecting something from her. She opted however to remain quiet. He was the one in charge and therefore giving out the orders. She would wait for them in silence.

"Find me the bug!"

A clipped order but not one which she had no choice but to obey. She nodded. Eager to exit the room, she attempted to do so with about as much dignity as she had left. Forcing herself to walk as straight and proper as possible. It was impossible not to limp, carrying her leg behind her but she at least managed to make her way outside. There, out of sight, she allowed herself to brace herself on the wall, using it for support as she made her way along. She had a job to do, just how she would go about it she didn't know but one thing was clear in her mind, she couldn't refuse, it would cost her her life.

Like it or not. She was now going to be working against the very group who would no doubt be trying to rescue her. Life, the woman reasoned, could be unbelievably cruel sometimes when it came to irony.

 ** _/_**

 ** _Really sorry for the delay! I promise to try and keep them coming more quickly in the future._**


	22. Infiltration

The Agreste Mansion was quiet. Eerie so. Despite Ladybug's most cautious efforts of peering through the windows from afar, she hadn't been able to see even the faintest sign of life. That naturally raised the question as to whether or not Adrien was even still in there. That was a worry. He could be anywhere. They found themselves looking over their shoulders, ever fearful of a potential attack.

When one had failed to materialize, they had found themselves readying himself to go through with the plan. Luka was nervous. That much was clear. More than once, he had been offered the opportunity to go back. He didn't have to risk his life. They would find another way. He was brave however. He didn't back down and refused to abandon his friends. The risk to his life didn't seem to be a show stopper as far as he was concerned, although he clearly wasn't entirely comfortable with the uncertainty as to just what he would be facing.

"You don't have to do this." Marinette urged her former boyfriend.

"If I don't, you're not going to be able to help that woman, Nathalie." He reminded her refusing to take his eyes off of the building. "You guys have saved Paris so often. It's only fair that I help out..."

"I don't want you to get hurt..." It was all that she can think to say.

"Thank God..." He offered her a relieved smile. "Given how long we were dating I'd be worried if you did."

With a trembling hand, she let him go. He slipped away, dressed in clothes which weren't his own. He approached what could very easily be his death, seemingly without fear. Whilst he did that, Marinette took her own position atop the roof of a nearby building. It provided her with good visibility. From there, she could see Luka as well as her other friends, all prepared to intervene at the slightest sign of things going south.

Ladybug was poised and ready. She could sweep down and be by his side in a matter of seconds. Of course, that might not be enough. One touch, just the one from Cat Noir's cataclysm and Luka would be dead. He knew the risks. They'd explained them to him several times and he'd witnessed first hand the power that the avatar of destruction could wield. Still, Luka wasn't fazed. He was determined to do whatever he could to put an end to this. So it was, that he marched right up to their enemy's lair with nothing more than a boiler's suit and a bag full of cobbled together tools scavenged from their respective houses.

He rung the bell and waited with his heart in his mouth. At any moment, the young man half-expected to see a shadow charge towards him and to be turned to dust. It took all of his self-control to stay where he was and not to flee. His call went unanswered. Hardly surprising given the current situation. It was worrying however. Whilst they could reasonably assume that Cat Noir might be out there somewhere trying to hunt them down, it was Nathalie who was the real concern. She'd been trapped in the house with the villain. There was no telling just what had happened to her. Silence didn't seem to point towards anything good.

Finally, just as he was about to turn away. There was a beep, a confirmation that someone else was on the other end:

"Who is it?" It was a woman's voice, raspy and frail.

Startled, for a moment, the young man could only stare at the intercom. They'd planned this all out carefully. Gone over it several times to ensure that it all flowed naturally. If it didn't, Adrien would smell a rat and well… Best not think about what would happen if that occurred. Still, there was something about the way that the woman spoke on the other end that unsettled Luka. She just didn't sound right. The tone was such that he found himself instinctively on edge, apprehensive and fearing the worst.

"I'm the plumber ma'am. You called about the leak?"

"The leak-" There was a sudden pause, it lasted a few moments. "You mean the bathroom. Of course, come on in."

Sure enough, there was a beep and the massive iron gate unlocked. Tools in hand, Luka forced himself not to look backwards over his shoulder in the hopes of catching one last glimpse of the girl who he was doing all of this for. Instead, the young man forced himself to keep his attention focused ahead of him. This all had to appear as natural as humanly possible. If he did anything to draw attention to her, the game would be up. As he approached the forbidding building, his heart thundered. Every fibre in his body commanded him to turn around and run. He had to make a break for it. The survival instinct was a powerful thing.

He got right up to the door before it was opened a creak. There was someone on the other side. Luka stopped dead, fixing them fearfully. It was only after a few moments that he noticed that they weren't moving. It was one person, a woman, alone. If anything, they actually seemed to be bracing themselves against the door. Instinctively, he felt that they were in some sort of trouble. They appeared to be hurt. A mixture of curious and cautionary, he approached uneasily.

"Ma'am, are you okay?"

"I'm fine!" The response was clipped and harsh but failed to hide the pain that she must have been in. "Come on. This leak isn't going to fix itself. You're late enough as it is!"

The response was… Strange. Marinette could remember Nathalie complaining to her boss about there being a leak in the upstairs bathroom which meant they had little to no hot water up there. He'd claimed to be aware of that much and that he'd contacted someone to deal with the issue. Given that notionally, at the time, he shouldn't have been lying, they had decided to assume that he had indeed made some calls and that the tradesmen were merely late. Enter Luka. A young man who knew next to nothing about pipes and leaks and who none-the-less found himself playing the role of a plumber.

Clinging to his own courage, the former holder of the snake miraculous pushed on and entered the building. The door was shut behind him quickly, as if to seal themselves away from the outside world.

When the woman turned back to see him, he almost fell over. Half of one side of her face was scratched and scared beyond recognition. It looked like she had been mauled by some kind of animal. The wounds were deep enough for the teen to find himself wondering just how it was that she still had her eye. What was more, they appeared to be relatively fresh. Whilst they had both dried up and scabbed over a little, they couldn't be more than a few days old. That left only one likely culprit…

"There was an… Accident, with Mr. Agreste's latest photo-shoot at the zoo." It was all that she offered to justify her current state.

Luka chose against questioning things any further. Sometimes, he reasoned, it was better not to know. Given what he'd been told, he could imagine and that was all that it took for him to instantly begin to feel a sense of dread. Standing there, it was difficult not to envision the possibility of just turning tail and running away. Bravery came slowly but remained firm. He couldn't flee. Not now that he'd seen just what he would be abandoning this woman to.

He followed her in silence. She had a noticeable limp to add to her list of ailments. The way that she dragged it, he wouldn't have liked to say if she'd broken something or not. He decided against asking or staring. Instead, the young man checked to see if the coast was clear. His eyes darted around, scanning each and every corner and shadow in search of Adrien or Cat Noir. He seemed to be remarkably absent – not that Luka was complaining. Still, it wasn't comforting. At every moment, he thought that the man might suddenly spring out of nowhere and cut him down. The tension was such that he found himself obliged to ask:

"Isn't your boss here?"

"No. Mr. Agreste is out on an errand. Not that it's any of your business."

Adrien out? That sounded perfect. Although it did raise the question as to just why Nathalie hadn't made a break for it? His eyes flickered back to the assistant, this time scanning to see if he could ascertain the extent of her injuries, fearing that they might be what was preventing her from fleeing. Whilst it was clear that she was in pain. It shouldn't have restricting her movement to an extent that escape was impossible. She could evidently open the doors and wasn't tied up or restrained in any obvious way. So the question was: why was she still here?

One last glance confirmed that if Adrien was indeed here, he was very well hidden. Luka came to a stop, somewhere on the steps. There was no need to proceed any further with this charade. If nothing else, he had no idea how to fix a leak and didn't particularly feel like embarrassing himself. The woman was higher on the steps before she too halted, turning round to face him.

"Madamoiselle Sancoeur, I'm not actually a plumber. My name is Luka Couffaine, I'm here to get you out of here!"

He had sounded dynamic but also stressing the importance of his mission and yet for some reason, Nathalie seemed to be unimpressed. She didn't so much as bat an eyelid. Adding once more to the mystery. For a moment, Luka actually found himself wondering if he'd been sent to the right address or if somehow Marinette and the others had failed to understand something about the situation. Were it not for the damage which had been done to the poor woman, he would certainly have had more questions that he currently did.

There was a strange silence. Perhaps his bewilderment didn't fully register or she failed to recognize it. Whatever the case, the delay until she provides him with a response is quite a substantial one:

"I know who you are."

"Then lets go before Adrien gets back!"

"I'm not leaving." It was a simple declaration, given calmly and plainly.

Not expected. They'd planned all of this on the basis that Nathalie Sancoeur – if she was still alive – would want nothing more than to be carried away from here and to safety and freedom. He couldn't even begin to comprehend why she would want to remain here. Sort sort of deluded idea that if she did as she had evidently been told, she would be safer than outside? Fear? A misplaced loyalty? All possibilities which he wasn't about to linger on. They simply didn't have time. If he was caught here like this, it would be curtains for the both of them.

"I can't seriously leave you like this! He'll kill you!"

"No he won't. Unfortunately for me, I'm more valuable to him alive than dead."

"Look at what he's already done to you! That is his handiwork, right?!" It was inconceivable that anything other than miraculous holder or a wild beast could have done this to her.

"Of course. I made the mistake of crossing him." She let out a heavy sigh, bracing herself against the baluster. "For the time being, I'm just going along with everything that he wants."

"You don't have to endure this..." The young man stressed to her. "Come with me… You'll be safer."

The woman shook her head slowly. Her legs were shaking slightly. Was it fear? No… Judging by the way that she lowered herself down so that she could sit on the step. She was exhausted. That much was clear and still in a fair amount of pain. Sympathy took over Luka. He forgot about the irritation in the face of the woman's stubbornness. It was replaced with compassion and a deep desire to help this person who was so clearly suffering. He approached slowly. Unsure just what he could do to make things better. Perhaps he could signal Marinette and the others. They could break in her and drag her out by force…

He hadn't entirely given up however. Reasoning that perhaps a softer approach would do the trick. Surely, there must have been some way of making her see sense.

"You can't stay here… We'll-"

"I know that I'd be safer with you." She cut him short. "-but like this… I can at least keep an eye on him."

"It can't be worth it..." Is all that Luka could mutter as a reply.

"Isn't it? Someone has to make sure he doesn't go after innocents. Besides, from the inside, I might be able to learn something of use." The woman frowned, her gaze travelled over the young man. "Do you have a plan to defeat him?"

"Not at the moment. We still don't really know what's going on to be honest."

Nathalie let out a heavy sigh, allowing her head to slip back and rest against the balustrade. It was clear that she was in pain. In those few seconds, it seemed as if all of her strength had somehow been drained. Luka approached slowly, cautious. He had half a mind to pick her up and drag her out kicking and screaming if needs be. There was something behind his eyes however, a certain glimmer that let him know she wasn't entirely mad. The cogs and gears were still grinding and she was thinking clearly enough.

Suddenly, in a matter of moments, it seemed as if a new dose of life had been infused back into her:

"They didn't want the miraculous or the book-" The woman informed him. "Well, they do but it wasn't their first target."

"Who is "they"?" Luka couldn't help but ask confused.

"The Cult of Kahn. Haven't you been briefed?" There was a tone of exasperation behind her voice which was impossible to mistake.

"Only _briefly_." He stressed, things had been urgent and Marientte and the others were evidently still confused by everything that had happened. "They're the guys who took Adrien, right?"

"Yes. He was always what they were after."

This was the sort of thing which he realized that the others needed to know. Just why she was insisting on telling him about this here and not coming with him was beyond the teen. She would have been infinitely safer! Still, he had to work with what he had. If she refused to be rescued, then he had no choice but to listen and take in as much as he could here. Even the tiniest scrap of information could prove to be of valuable use later on. Perhaps, she had managed to discover something important which would allow them to get the better of Adrien later on.

"I don't know how they did it… But that's not Adrien. It's Kahn himself."

"What you mean he's possessed?" The thought sent a shiver down the other lad's spine.

"I think so. He did this to me and didn't even blink." She winced evidently in a considerable amount of pain. "I don't think Adrien, even at his worst could do that. You probably won't be able to appeal to his better nature."

"Then how do we stop him?"

It seemed desperate. He figured that perhaps some of the kwamis would have an idea. After all, they were far older than all of the humans associated with them. With the akumas, at least it had been relatively easy. This sounded like something completely different. For starts, there were no easy targets. Nothing that they could go for to set their friend free of whatever control he was under. It seemed in his mind like the only way of actually stopping him might be to do so physically and that would inevitably entail hurting the young man. He could only hope that the others would have some sort of a better plan.

The only good news was that Adrien himself wasn't to blame for his actions. That, Luka suspected would be quite the weight off of Marinette's heart.

Nathalie shook her head slowly in response to his question. He hadn't been expecting her to know. It was just something he'd asked on the off-chance. Had there been some miracle cure, he had little doubt that she would either have informed them earlier or used it herself.

"I don't know. Adrien's still in there though. A prisoner, I guess." Her gaze flicked down to her watch. "You need to leave. He'll be back any moment now."

"I can't just leave you here." He repeated one more time, aware that his plea was likely to fall on deaf ears once more.

"You're going to have to, because I'm not coming." This time, she raised her voice, as if to enforce the notion. "I'll stay here. Keep an eye on him. Come what may."

There was a certain acceptance in the way that she said the last part which made Luka reluctant to argue. She'd made her decision…

It was with more than a little reluctance, that the young man turned herself away from the woman he had been set here to help. There was a feeling as if he was abandoning her. Worse, sentencing her to death. Given the damage that had already been done, it didn't seem impossible that Adrien, Kahn, whoever it was, would end her life if it suited him. Just why she was still alive was mystery enough. He forced himself to leave however, reasoning that the sooner that he informed the others, the sooner he would be able to help Nathalie.

With that in his mind, he practically bolted out of the building. Running as fast as his legs would allow. All of the fear which he had been struggling to repress suddenly took a hold of him, propelling forwards. He didn't care how strange he looked as he charged out of the mansion. The thought that a plumber suddenly fleeing in such a manner might look suspicious didn't even occur to him.

He had to tell Ladybug/Marinette. Let her know what was at stake.

Nathalie watched from afar. Her strength was gradually returning. Although her leg continued to pain her to an extent that made standing or walking difficult, it was now at a level that she could just about bear. Propping herself up so as to look out of the window at any rate wasn't much of a challenge. It was with a heavy heart that she followed the figure past the gates and back out into the streets. Already, she could see a few figures moving on the rooftops, closing in so as to ensure that they friend was alright before whisking him off to safety.

"Right on schedule..." A voice next to her spoke gleefully, stepping out from the shadows. "Wait long enough and the pray comes to you."

"What are you going to do?" She questioned, turning back to face him.

"Why… Give chase of course." White teeth flashed as his face was distorted by a monstrous grin. "I do so love to hunt."


	23. Frozen depths

The news that Adrien was possessed actually came as something of a relief for the group. The alternative was that the young man himself had committed the actions of his own freewill. Be it that he'd gone mad or was simply showing his true colours, neither were appealing options. Knowing that another force was to blame was a welcome release.

Of course, that brought new problems and questions. Chief of which was just how they were meant to liberate their friend from the fiend's control. Even the kwamis seemed to be stumped by the problem. Without the guardians, they were lost. Yet more terrible news. They had no Master Fu to guide them and Adrien was even less likely to be of assistance. So it left the group of youths planning in Luka's living-room. With his mother and sister away, the boat on the Seine had seemed like the safest place they could find. At least they wouldn't be endangering any others here.

They didn't question just how it was possible. In a world with kwamis and magic butterflies, it wasn't too much of a stretch of the imagination to think that there would be other artefacts out there with similar if not equal power. They only lingered on the subject for a brief moment, wondering if such an object existed, if they could potentially get their hands on it and use it to reverse what had been done. They didn't dismiss the notion as impossible but without knowing for sure what had happened, it was considered to be something which they would unfortunately be unlikely to be able to use. There were simply too many uncertainties involved.

"The main problem's going to be bringing him down."

It was an issue which was on all of their minds. It presented numerous complications, least of which was that if Adrien was indeed possessed, they didn't want to risk damaging his body. In all likelihood, the next time they saw him, he would be trying to kill them. They had to plan things carefully. For the time being, the group was favouring the idea of laying some kind of a trap. It would be easier and much less risky to them. Their supernatural partners couldn't quite seem to stress enough the fact that they most definitely DID NOT want to get into a fist fight with Kahn.

"He'd tear you all to shreds." Wayzz was adamant about that much. "If he has Kahn's mind then he has his knowledge and experience in fighting. He was a killer."

"Adrien's not a killer." Nino argued, desperately looking for a flaw in the kwami's logic.

"That training of his..." Marinette muttered, thinking back to how difficult it had been for the two of them to arrange a meeting and work around his schedule. "He's as strong as an ox. It's not like we've been keeping up with him. One on one, there's no way we could beat him. Even without his cataclysm."

"Which we'll want to avoid anyway." Alya reminded all of them.

Going up against the Avatar of destruction incarnated by a madman was a decidedly unappealing prospect. The challenge was only growing the more daunting by the moment.

Nathalie was also a worry. The description that Luka had provided them with was a grim one. He hadn't left out any of the details about the woman's current condition so as to ensure that they didn't take the situation lightly. Likely, he was also eager to motivate them to rescue a woman who in the past, hadn't always been an ally, far from it. Nathalie was in desperate need of help and as it stood, they were the only ones capable of freeing her.

"She'll be dead soon." Luka informed them grimly, when the matter was brought up. "He tore half of her face off. I don't know why he's keeping her alive but if the mood takes him, he'll kill her."

It was a grim thought but enough to spur them on and provide them with a sense of urgency. For the time being, they were focusing on somehow succeeding in immobilizing their foe. Queen Bee seemed like their greatest asset as far as that was concerned. At any rate, they would be forced to keep their enemy at arm's length. Thankfully, Cat Noir wasn't much of a long distance fighter. As far as they were aware, he didn't have any form of projectile. That would mean that he would have no choice but to close the distance and get up close and personal. Once he did however, most of his former allies were in agreement that he would have the advantage. Even if he only managed to touch one of them with his cataclysm, it would be too great a loss.

There was another issue: they were in the largest city in France. There were always people on the streets. Whereas Gabriel didn't particularly want to harm any of them, the same couldn't be said for Kahn. He would no doubt be only too willing to hide behind innocents. So they were going to have to lure him out to somewhere secluded, where he wouldn't pose a threat to the bulk of the population.

Then of course came the problem of just what they were going to do with him once they immobilized him. Removing his miraculous would certainly limit the danger that he posed but it wouldn't get rid of the source of the problem. He would still be possessed. They still had to find some way of drawing Kahn out of their friends' body. Somehow, she doubted that it was something a trip to the local hospital could fix.

"We'll have to cross that bridge when we get to it." Marinette declared glancing out of the window towards the darkness of the city. "For the time being, we've got to stop him before he can hurt anyone else."

"Yeah but Mari what are we going to do with him if you we catch him? We need to plan everything ahead." Luka remained grim since returning. "Even without his powers, he could easily kill someone. We don't exactly have a prison cell and it's not like we can hide him in one of our rooms. Someone will notice!"

"Not if we sedate him…" It was Alya's suggestion which earned some puzzled looks. "We go to the hospital, get some sedatives. If he's sleeping, he'll be harmless."

It's a start. They'll have to make the trip tomorrow morning. Ladybug will go. People shouldn't question her. Marinette was unlikely to be able to get her hands on anything. Not without a good amount of suspicion. After that… They would have to find some sort of solution for the current situation, some way of drawing out the poison which now flowed through his veins.

In short, there was an awful lot which needed to be done and not much time to do it. They were being hunted. There could be little doubt of that much. It was of critical importance that none of them were caught unprepared and alone. One touch was all that it would take to kill them. He could drop out of the sky and easily murder an unsuspecting victim. For that reason, they would remain in groups and stay hidden until they were ready to strike. No risks were to be taken. Not on any account.

"This isn't the first time that Cat Noir's been possessed." Alya couldn't help but remind her friend. "That time with Dark Cupid, you cured him with a kiss."

"I remember..." It was rather difficult to forget, still she hesitated. "I don't know if it would work."

"He'll rip you apart." Luka's voice was firm, it left little room for debate. He was not even remotely happy with the idea. "Just like he did with Nathalie. We don't mean anything to him any more."

A terrifying thought indeed but one which instinctively Marinette was rather inclined to agree with. If he'd been willing to injure Nathalie to the extent that Luka had described, then it would be foolish to assume that they would be any different. Adrien, if he was indeed still in there, likely had little to no say in what was going on. All that she could do was hope that her friend was indeed unaware of just what his body was doing, that he was in essence sleeping, locked away somewhere within his mind. The alternative she didn't even want to begin thinking about…

They would have to find a solution… Perhaps Plagg would know more given his connection to both Adrien and Kahn. As it grew late, the group needed their rest. They had spent the entire afternoon talking the matter over, only pausing briefly so as to eat. It had taken a fair amount out of them. No doubt stress was also having an effect. Whatever the case, the group of young adults soon found themselves eager to get some shut-eye.

Luka's home was thankfully just about large enough to accommodate the five of them. Alya and Nino could share. They were living together after all. Chloe took Juleka's room, although not without making a passing comment about the décor much to the girl's brother's irritation. A quick threat about getting put in the inflatable dingy which served as a lifeboat was enough to dissuade her from complaining any further.

Marinette made restless by the day's events struggled to find sleep and opted for staying awake just a while longer. Tikki snuggled up to her shoulder, no doubt attempting to provide some comfort. Luka brought them both some hot tea a moment later. He was shaken. She could tell that much. It was a rarity for the young man. For the most part, he was pretty sensible and stable, not the type to let things affect him greatly. This time however, he made no secret about just how much of an impact visiting the Agreste's manor had had on him.

Both were silent as they settled next to one another. The young woman had been here many a time before. She'd dated Luka on and off for many years. They'd never officially even broken up. Sometimes, they just went through periods of seeing a little bit less of one another. It was a situation which seemed to suit the two of them well enough and even right now, she felt both comfortable and at ease in his presence.

"This is some mess." The young man muttered eventually.

"Sure is..." Marinette was tired, she couldn't face going into much detail about the matter right now.

"We'll figure it out." Luka declared, trying to sound as confident as humanly possible. "We'll save Adrien."

"I hope you're right."

She fell asleep there on the couch. Luka was a comfort. She didn't feel quite so alone or scared, snuggled up there with her ex-boyfriend next to her and Tikki dozing nearby. Her parents had been told that she was simply spending some time at Alya's. Why? Well, no particular reason really. She just wanted to chill out with her friend for a bit. At some point, she became aware of the young man getting up so as to fetch a blanket for the two of them. She was only awake for a few, very brief instants however before promptly drifting off once more.

Something stirred next to her at 2.42 AM. Initially, the young woman was tempted to ignore it and go back to sleep. She passed it off as simply being her companion shifting in order to make himself more comfortable. Although that being said, had she been more awake then she might have found it strange given that Luka was a very sound sleeper. Exhaustion prevented her from questioning it however.

Once more, she found something shaking her. A little more violently this time. It was Tikki. The kwami was awake. Clutching a hold of her partner. She seemed determined to wake the young woman up but offered no explanation when Marinette's gaze met hers. Indeed, there was something else in the room which seemed to have captivated the entirety of her attention. A pair of green eyes glinted there, catching the moonlight. They were unblinking. The fact behind them seemed to be invisible, mask by the obscurity. Yet she knew just who it was and for that reason, found herself unable to breathe. Fear constricted her chest. It was a nightmare from which there was no escape.

There was something almost hypnotic about the orbs. She found it hard to tear her own gaze away from them. Like a deer staring into the headlights of an oncoming car, she found herself paralysed. Was this some new power or skill that he'd somehow succeeded in unlocking or was it just fear taking control? She must have done something to wake Luka. Either that or he had somehow sensed the change. It was as if the ambient temperature of the room had dropped many degrees in the space of a few seconds. The young man's attention drifted round the room before also spotting what was wrong. She felt him tense up next to her. The spell seemed to have affected the young man as well.

White teeth flashed in the night, forming into a monstrous grin. He stepped forwards into the light.

It was both Cat Noir and not Cat Noir. A part of her still thought of the fourteen-year-old she'd known a decade ago when she pictured him, even though she'd been in the company of the fully grown Adrien for some time now. Seeing him like this, something just screamed that there was something wrong. There was a brutal savagery behind his eyes, the sort of cruelty which was so evident that nobody, stranger or not would have crossed him. She didn't need to know what he had done to be aware that he was capable of all of the worst.

"Hey there Mari."

"Adri-" She shook her head. No, that wasn't the young man she cared for. "Kahn..."

"Oh good. You're up to date. Saves all the complicated explanations." He approached very slowly. "Where are the other miraculous?"

"Safe." She managed to summon some courage in order to defy him.

"Do you honestly think anything and anyone is safe from me?"

It was a challenge, clear as day, maybe a taunt. He was confident, that much was clear. The way that he approached spoke of the fact that he didn't view them as a threat. Maybe they weren't to him. It suddenly occurred to Marinette that the time it took her to transform, their enemy would already be upon them. In short, he would have slain her, perhaps both of them before she could do anything. The thought was an intimidating one.

Her gaze fell upon the doors which lead to Alya and Nino and Chloe's rooms respectively. His attention seemed to travel there also. When he looked back, he was still wearing the same old demented grin. It sent a shiver down her spine. For a few dreadful seconds, she found herself wondering if her friends might already have received a visit from their foe. Could they have been murdered whilst they slept? The thought was dismissed. He would have to have slipped past them to get to the others. Maybe he had…

Ironically, it was Cat Noir himself who more or less confirmed that they were indeed safe:

"Scream and I'll kill both of you."

Both instinctively drew closer to one another. She felt Luka pull her a little closer. Instict driving the two of them to stay close for protection. Her mind raced looking for a possible way out. The Miraculouses and book weren't far away. It was out of the question for them to leave them here. Although frankly, as it was, she would have been satisfied if she could see an escape route for the two of them. Kahn had them cornered, backed up as far as they could go. The only exit was through him. There was no way that both of them could survive that… The young woman reasoned that she could potentially transform or rather try to. The time it took for their enemy to kill her, her friend might be able to slip away.

For some reason however, he seemed to be holding back. Perhaps this all seemed a little too easy for him and he feared a surprise attack. Either that or he intended to toy with them a while:

"It didn't take all that long for you to replace me I see." His eyes rested on the form of the young man next to her, a cruel smirk still lingered on his lips. "It's been a while Luka."

Neither of them spoke. What could they possibly say? Terror continued to grip them, preventing either of the youths from uttering even the beginnings of a sentence. That only seemed to amuse their foe. He chuckled quietly. Aware that there were others sleeping nearby. It was his eyes, cruel and cold which did most of the taunting. He sat down on his haunches, tilting his head to one side as he flashed a wicked grin their direction.

"What is it? Cat got your tongue?"

"What do you want?" She finally managed to choke out.

"The Ladybug Miraculous..." Not exactly surprising.

"So you can make a wish." The young woman guessed, her courage returning slightly.

"There you go!" He spoke as if it was all a game. "Maybe you're a little smarter than I gave you credit for. Now hand them over. Believe me, you don't want me to come and get them."

Marinette held firm. Handing over the jewels would spell disaster. She had no idea what Kahn could possibly want to wish for but one thing which was certain was that it wouldn't be anything good for them. Unlike Gabriel, she found it unlikely that he would have a wife somewhere to resurrect. No… One quick glance confirmed that his intentions were anything but benevolent. There was no refuting that this man was pure malice. She felt herself tense up, ready to fight him should the need arise. Still, he seemed to be keeping his distance.

"You're going to make this difficult, aren't you?"

"Mari. You run and get the others." Luka, very steadily got to his feet. "I'll hold him off."

"Feel like being the hero, huh?" He met the slightly older man's cold gaze. "Okay… I'll play along."

Marinette could practically sense Luka's heartbeat increase. He braced himself, aware that he might be about to meet his end. Somehow, the young man still managed to maintain a seemingly calm demeanour. Compared to Adrien, who appeared to be manic, truly looking forwards to cut his teeth on yet another enemy. There could be no mistake as to just who would emerge victorious. Both of them were fully aware of what the outcome would be going into it. The only question was just how long their battle would last.

It all happened in a flash. The younger man flew forwards, he lashed out quickly and brutally. Luka only just had enough time to grab him. He made no attempts to dodge Cat Noir's claws and let out a shriek of pain as they penetrated his flesh. Despite his evident pain, the young man refused to let go. They rolled and crashed around. Smashing into the table. Her former boyfriend's cries echoed through the room. A miraculous holder would almost always be stronger than a regular human being. Each blow he was dealt must have felt like being kicked by a mule. Still, he held on tight. Desperate to buy her every second that he could.

There was blood.

It served to remind Marinette just what needed to be done. She acted quickly and shouted out:

"Tikki, spots on!"

The transformation took place quickly but not quite fast enough for her. Cat Noir was breaking away. Each of his blows was hitting his foe harder, grounding him into the dirt. The former hero's claws had dug into the bare skin of his arms, shredding them. Now, almost free, the miraculous holder was able to stand and decided to try and rid himself of the nuisance by stamping on him. The flash of light was just beginning to dim when she heard a _crack_.

There was a brief shriek of pain and Cat Noir was free.

He bounded away from Luka's body, eager to put some distance between himself and the young man. Apparently, her friend's show of strength and stubbornness had taken him by surprise. He seemed to be somewhat unnerved, wearier than he had initially been at any rate. The arrogant condescension which he seemed to have sported earlier was gone now, replaced instead by an irritation. More than that: a blind rage. He seemed to have forgotten about everything and everyone else and now, only had eyes for the one who had wronged him. He approached the other man slowly.

Suddenly, a yoyo shot out of nowhere, it wrapped itself around him. Trapping his arms against his body. His eyes widened. Ladybug gave the string a tug, causing her foe to fall to his knees and away from the downed Luka. The doors to the bedrooms had been flung open some time ago. Three heroes emerged. The commotion had no doubt woken them and automatically assuming the worst they had transformed. They contemplated the scene before them with a mixture of shock and horror. Unsure what to make of it.

Chloe was the first to move towards Luka. Since being kicked, he'd started to slowly move around once more. The way that he was gasping for breath and flailing slightly seemed to indicate however that he was indeed injured. Unable to take the risk of taking her eyes off of Cat Noir even for the briefest of moments, Marinette was forced to keep her distance. She looked over desperately, trusting her friends to be able to access the damage. It was difficult for her not to instinctively start panicking. A well-placed blow from a miraculous holder could easily prove to be fatal. A lump formed in her throat, as a single thought passed through her mind: was Luka dying?

She might have asked had her mouth not turned bone dry. She could hear her ex-boyfriend whimper and wheeze. He seemed to be terrifyingly weak.

Laughter brought her out of thoughts. It started quiet, more of a chuckle than anything else but was a little louder now. It almost sounded like someone was trying to muffle the sound, as if something was amusing but it was neither the time or the place. The giggling was coming from Cat Noir, who else? This whole thing seemed to be hilarious to him. Marinette only stared, unable to think of an appropriate response or even process what she was seeing. He wasn't even paying any attention to her. It was Luka and his suffering which seemed to be simply hilarious to the man. She wanted to demand that he shut up, each laugh seemed to be cutting into her, making everything worse.

Then he looked over his shoulder. He glanced at her through his peripheral vision, evidently checking her reaction. When he saw how distraught she looked. A smirk made it onto his face. It sickened her:

"You shut up!" It was as much of a warning as it was a request.

"Oh… What's the matter Bugaboo, aren't you having fun?" There it was, that same old taunt.

"You think this is fun?! You could have killed him!"

"Aw… There's still time yet."

She lost her patience, ensuring that the line stayed taught so that he was properly restrained. She moved forwards. She didn't know what had prompted Cat Noir to come here but he'd made a mistake. Maybe he'd intended to sneak in and take her miraculous whilst she slept and she'd been lucky enough to be woken or hadn't been expecting such ferocious resistance. In truth, she didn't question it. Now that he was here, there was some chance that this madness could end. They would be able to find a way to get Adrien back and Kahn, well he would never harm anyone ever again. She took a chance, standing a little closer to him.

She wanted him to feel crushed, anything to wipe that smug look off of his face. It was driving her mad being forced to look at him.

"No there isn't! You're beaten." This time, when he laughed, he through his head backwards to let it come out of his throat.

"You didn't think it would be that easy, did you?" She frowned, confused, he was clearly referring to something… But what? "Oh, Marinette… Have you forgotten where we're standing?"

She didn't understand. None of this made any sense. He was still smiling, still one step ahead. She saw his lips move. They spoke a single word: _Cataclysm_.

Shifting backwards, he allowed his hand to touch the floor beneath him, the hull of the boat. Panicked, Ladybug turned, ready to scream and warn the others. Her scream was lost however as the wood and fibreglass turned to dust and they found themselves plunged into the freezing waters of the Seine.


	24. Trapped in the tides

It was both instinct which almost doomed her and saved her at the same time.

As soon as she found herself immersed in to icy cold river, she wanted nothing more than to gasp. It was a reflex and a dangerous one at that. Ironically, because only a few seconds earlier she had been in the middle of preparing to scream a warning to her friends, her lungs were already full. It meant that she doesn't swallow or inhale any water. She was paralysed however. Whilst the waters might not be covered with ice, in the middle of a Parisien winter, they most certainly weren't warm. They stung and bit as her skin despite the moderate protection which her miraculous offered her. Her eyes were blinded by the water, made all the worse by the darkness of the night.

It took the young woman a few moments to become slightly more aware of just what had happened. She was sinking, there was quite the current as well, dragging her along. Ever deeper. The moon was shining brightly above her.

Somehow, that was what it took for her to abruptly realize that if she did nothing, she was going to drown. That caused her to slip into panic. She swam with all of her strength for the surface, kicking as hard as she could. Finally, she managed to get her head above the water and fill her lungs with some much needed oxygen. The current, made worse by the recent rains still threatened to sweep her away though as she struggled to not get dragged down once more. She splashed around helplessly for a few moments before making a somewhat more constructed effort to reach a bank. She drifted under one of the city's numerous bridges. Desperately scrambling towards the nearest quai.

Finally, she managed to grab a hold of the hull of a boat, it was enough to stop her from getting dragged away. Every second she spent in the waters seemed to drain her strength, making her increasingly aware of just how cold they were. Gradually, she managed to help herself herself along.

She reached the stones of the pier but found herself too weak to haul herself out of the water. Her wet clothes were weighing her down and the cold continued to sap what little strength she had yet to give. It was only with a great effort and clenching her teeth to fight the pain that she was finally able to dig her fingers into the stone and scramble out of the freezing river. She dragged herself out, spluttering up water as she went.

A hand grabbed her, pulled her out and helped her along. She lay on her back, gasping for air and struggling to recover from the shock. For a moment, she couldn't quite breathe. Even thinking was something which the young woman didn't feel up to the task of attempting.

"Not the best night to go for a swim, eh milady?"

Recognizing the voice, her eyes shot open. In a flash, she backed herself into a corner, stumbling slightly as she went. It was true terror which took a hold of her. Despite everything, she could still recognize the menace behind the man's voice. In the night, for a couple of instants, she struggled to make out the figure of the miraculous holder. His green eyes were unmistakable though. There was a bitterness with which he spoke that informed her that he was done laughing. The game had ceased to be amusing.

Crouching nearby, Adrien approached slowly. Perhaps he could sense that she was mostly spent or maybe not and feared that this was all some kind of ploy. Either that or the swim in the river had taken a fair amount from him as well. The way that he made his way towards her almost reminded her of a big cat about to pounce on the unsuspecting deer. In this case however, she was fully aware that he was coming closer. Without her yoyo, she found herself comparatively defenceless. Instinct demanded therefore that she put as much distance between the two of them as possible.

It was as her back encountered the wall that she found herself wondering where the others had gone. She hadn't seen or heard them but then in her panic to avoid drowning, she maybe hadn't been paying as much attention as she should have been. They could have been anywhere: upstream, downstream… _At the bottom of the river…_ The thought caused her to shudder. Ladybug looked to the water, desperately searching for any sign of life.

A mistake. In a flash, seizing the opportunity presented by her distraction, he leapt forwards. There was a rough impact as he shoved her roughly into the wall. She had the presence of mind to tuck her chin in, ensuring that her head couldn't be slammed against the stones. The violence of the action was still enough to knock the wind clean out of her. Cat Noir stood uncomfortably close, using his own body to pin her in place. His left arm rested against her throat, all but cutting off her oxygen supply. He did her best to such in a few breaths but it was never quite enough. His free right hand reached out and as easily as he would have plucked a berry from a bush, he removed one of her earrings.

It was an unpleasant feeling as her transformation wore off. It was as if all of her strength was fading away. It had been torn from her. She struggled, a little too late. Fighting tooth and nail against her attacker's hold on her. Without the added power of the miraculous however, her actions seemed to barely even register. Kahn held the jewel in between his two fingers, admiring it in the pale moonlight. If she protested, he made sure to press down just a little harder on her windpipe.

"Beautiful..." He muttered before his eyes drifted back to her. "-and not too bad yourself!"

"-giv…it… -ack." Was all that she could manage with the current pressure on her throat.

"I don't think so." With one of the earrings in his possession, his attitude seemed to have abruptly brightened up. "You're much prettier and far less of a nuisance like this."

She winced trying her best to push him back, to get at least some distance between the two of them. If he'd managed to pin a portion of her right arm in his manoeuvrer to pin her in place, her left remained comparatively free. It was the proximity of their bodies which made it difficult for her to move. Her efforts barely even seemed to register with him. If anything, he seemed to find them entertaining. Huffing with amusement, he took yet another step closer to the wall, practically crushing her. It felt as if he was intent on grinding her into the stones.

He closed his hand over the earring he had stolen, leaving only his index finger free. He reached out, resting his finger against the top of her cheekbone. She could feel his nail pricking at her skin. She found herself thinking back to Luka's description of what had been done to Nathalie and found herself wondering if she might be about to receive a scar of her own. Her breathing quickened as much as it could with her windpipe being compressed. It hurt although she could tell that he hadn't quite broken the skin. The discomfort and fear caused her to let out a whimper, despite her best attempts to remain brave.

She looked up into his green eyes, desperately trying to see past the madness and find some trace, even a faint one, of the young man she knew and loved. She pleaded silently for her assistance.

All that she was met by was a mocking little smile. He was aware of what he was doing. Slowly, he trailed his finger down, tracing her jawline. Marinette closed her eyes, flinching away.

"Where's the book little bug?"

She blinked a few times, for some reason struggling to process just what he wanted. The Book… It was something that she'd barely given any thought to when they'd gone into the waters. Now, she reasoned, it would likely be in her bag at the bottom of the Seine along with the rest of the miraculouses. That most definitely wouldn't do it any good. He must have mistaken her silence for stubborn refusal as he leaned in closer, tightening his grip to reinforce the threat. She gasped, coming dangerously close to running out of air.

There was none of Adrien there. Once more, she turned to her friend. Desperate and pleading. There was a hatred there she'd only ever seen once before. It had been a cursed arrow which had turned turned his heart to ice.

There was an idea beginning to form at the back of her mind. It wasn't much of them, the last few glimmers of hope which she still possessed. It was unpleasant to be stuck so close to him. Instinct demanded that she do everything within her power to escape and put some distance between herself and her attacker. She forced herself to remain as calm as possible however. She wouldn't get two chances at this. She moved her lips slightly. He would think that she was trying to articulate some words. The young woman even went so far as to add in a gag, reminding him that putting a great deal of pressure on her throat was equally counter-productive. She earned an exasperated eye roll but he did release her. Marinette took advantage of the few seconds of respite to fill her lungs with oxygen. Cat Noir seemed to be less than patient as she struggled to recover:

"What's that now?"

No doubt as he leaned in so that their heads were almost touching was intended to trouble her. In short, it was meant as a threat. What Kahn evidently didn't think of was that it might serve his foe's purposes as much as it did his own.

Marinette didn't give him any warning or a chance to react. She leaned in and kissed him, sending her lips crashing into his. She felt her friend tense up abruptly, his eyes widening with surprise. For her own part, she closed her eyes. This could only end one of two ways. Either Adrien, her Adrien, would return to her or Kahn would remain, in which case he would most certainly kill her. Perhaps by refusing to look, she hoped to forget just what she was doing. It had been one thing when Cat Noir had been struck by Dark Cupid's arrow. At least that had still been him, albeit a twisted and hateful version of the hero. This was… another man – although she hesitated to even qualify him as that much given what he'd done – who just happened to be in possession of her friend's body. Still, she kissed him.

It had saved him once…

The seconds trickled by and still she found herself somehow safe from being turned to ash. Cat Noir seemed to relax, his grip on her eased. His posture no longer seemed so threatening. He deepened the kiss slightly and she didn't object. She could only pray that love would bring him back to her the way that it had done when they were both younger.

He pulled away after a little while, staring at her as if he had never seen her before. There was something new behind his eyes. The rage had vanished but what now lay in its place, she couldn't say… The longer it lasted, the longer she dared to think that he might be back with her. The hostility had vanished, replaced with what almost appeared to be innocence. She fixed him uncertainly. Eyeing the young man for the slightest hint of just who she was dealing with. Gradually however, hope began to form inside of her once more. She figured that he would be confused, perhaps it was a sensation similar to that of awaking from a dream-filled sleep or in this case, nightmares.

She opened her mouth, ready to say something, to ask and check if it was well and truly her friend who had returned to her. Instead, she was met by a smirk, it almost seemed to be mocking her:

"I'll admit I wasn't expecting that."

In a flash, his face changed once more. Any feeling that she was dealing with the real Adrien Agreste was quickly dismissed. Kahn was back. Sensing that she was running out of options, the young woman did her best to side-step him. A swift kick was enough to knock the legs out from underneath her. She crashed to the ground roughly. He crouched down next to her, still taunting with that almost manic look that he sported. Just why he was dragging all of this out, she had no idea. Her best guess was that he took some sort of pleasure out of all of this. Presumably, it might have been the same reason that Nathalie had been spared.

"What? Were you hoping that 'true love' would be enough to draw out Adrien?!" He threw his head back and laughed. "Well, I'm afraid that no amount of love is enough to touch my heart."

"Do you even have one?" Marinette snapped finally pushed over the edge.

She couldn't fight Kahn. Not with only one earring. She didn't however plan on remaining easy pray. She would fight him, just as Luka had and give her attacker something to remember. Her eyes briefly glanced down. He'd used Cataclysm some time ago, yet for all that the ring didn't seem to be running down. Hardly surprising. Unlike her and her friends, Adrien had been using the ring for the past decade, he'd built up experience and skill and would therefore no longer be subject to the same limitations as they had once been. The only saving grace was that he would be unable to let loose with another wave of destruction. That being said, he was still more than capable of killing her.

"Of course I do Mari. I just get pleasure out of other things..." His eyes narrowed once more, fixing her. "Tell me where the book and other miraculous are or I swear I'll blind you."

"Go ahead. I'm not telling you anything..."

He grabbed her round the throat, shoving her head against the stone pavement once more. No longer dazed, Marinette fought back as much as she could. She kicked at him and scratched at his grip. It irritated her assailant who held firm none-the-less. The young man raised his free hand above his head menacingly, giving her a few seconds more to think things through. She bit her lower lip, both refusing to speak and trying to brace herself for what was to come.

Even deprived of her full power as Ladybug, she was determined to be brave. She shot her enemy a cold and defiant glare. He seemed to pause, to hesitate. Why, Marinette couldn't have said but there seemed to be just the whisper of some form of recognition behind his eyes. For a split second, Adrien perhaps hadn't returned but could have been aware of what he was doing, what he had already done and what he was about to do.

His claws were frighteningly close to her face when a shield shot out from the darkness colliding roughly with his wrist. He let out a howl of pain. The earring he had taken fell to the ground.

Marinette seized her opportunity. She kicked her somewhat stunned foe before he had enough time to either recover or process just what was happening. He fell backwards, suddenly more preoccupied by Carapace and Queen Bee charging towards him. It was all that the young woman needed to rush forwards and grab the fallen Ladybug miraculous. She forced herself to ignore the struggle as she put it back on. She would be of greater assistance as Ladybug than she would ever be as her civilian alter-ego.

The time it took for her to turn back, Cat Noir was being pushed back. He was being cautious. She realized that quickly. The tales the kwamis had told spoke of a ruthless and brutal warrior. Either he was a bully or he was afraid. Perhaps his defeat all those centuries ago had left a mark or maybe, despite all of his boasting, he wasn't confident in his ability to take on three miraculous holders at the same time. His eyes darted between his enemies, settling on none of them for more than a passing couple of seconds.

"What is it kitty?" Queen Bee questioned after a few moments of uncertainty. "Are you a scaredy-cat?"

"Hardy..." The mere notion caused him to huff in amusement. "I do know when I need to improve my odds however. I think you can count on seeing me in the future."

Nobody had the stomach to give chase. They chose to stay put as Cat Noir beat a hasty retreat into the shadows. Their foe was a powerful one and he would have the advantage in the darkness. It was best for them to regroup and try and come up with some sort of strategy before they proceeded.

If nothing else, Marinette was sure that she didn't have enough in her for another fight. Not tonight. Her legs were shaking. It was a mixture of the shock finally hitting home and the chill of the night. She was drenched. They all were. Apparently all of her friends had ended up in the icy waters judging by the sodden state of both Carapace and Queen Bee. Rena Rouge remained unaccounted for. A terrible thought suddenly occurred to the young woman, she'd been too panicked for it to properly register at first.

"What happened to Luka?!"

"Relax..." Carapace spoke softly, seemingly eager for her to stay calm. "Rena's taking him to the hospital. We got him out of the water but the dude was in a bad way. Looks like he broke something."

That was something of a relief. She'd feared the worst for a few moments. All she could picture when she thought back to the young man was the terrible sound his ribs had made when Cat Noir had finally stomped down on his chest. She dreaded to imagine the damage that a blow like that could and would do. She trusted that her friends knew what to do. If they had considered that it was serious enough to take him to hospital, then they were most certainly right and she wasn't about to question their judgement. She only hoped that he would be alright.

Her own body demanded that she rest. She wanted nothing more than to go home, have a warm shower, dry herself and slip into bed so that close her eyes and get some sleep. Unfortunately, her duties weren't quite over yet. Her eyes scanned the water, struggling to remember just where Couffaine's boat-house had been. She found herself approaching the water's edge, trying her best to look into the depths. Queen Bee and Carapace followed behind her, evidently confused by her current behaviour. Their own attention was focused more above their heads, apprehensive in case of a new attack.

Marinette was tired but somewhat more relaxed. She doubted he would show himself again, not until he was sure that he could achieve victory. For the time being, they were safe.

"What are you doing?" It was Queen Bee who questioned her after a few moments.

"We need the book and miraculouses back. They'll be at the bottom of the-"

"We got them." Carapace informed her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Fished them out before they sank."

"Oh." It was a relief to know that she wasn't going to have to dive back under the waters.

She raised her gaze. The city lights still shined brightly. It was quite beautiful, really in a way. Another day, Marinette might have allowed herself to fall down, to breathe deeply and to try and recover. Gritting her teeth however, Ladybug forced herself to go on further. There could be no stopping, no rest, not until this was finished…


	25. Respite

"Nathalie!"

The shout echoed through the building and reached the ears of the assistant. She let out a soft sigh, the last that she would be able to afford before being dragged back into the pit with the demon she'd been living with. She knew not to try and finish what she was doing. Running a company when it's head and poster boy had just become possessed by a maleficent warlord from centuries ago was proving to be something of an arduous task. It was better than the alternative however. These minutes spent in front of the screen meant that she was alone. It would seem that whilst Kahn appreciated that they were necessary, they still bored him. She liked that. It meant he left her alone for a while instead of his taunting or games.

Whilst some of her wounds were gradually healing. She'd earned a few new ones whenever she'd somehow managed to upset or disappoint him or sometimes seemingly just when it took his fancy. Her leg however continued to hurt. Whilst she was reasonably confident that there were no breaks putting weight on her limb still hurt. There was a bruise there. As such, she'd developed a technique of helping herself along using the wall to brace herself. Still, it left her a mixture of slow and clumsy.

Kahn had been gone for a while now. Quite a few hours in fact. She might have worried more were it not for the fact that she'd been holding onto the hope that it might mean that he'd been apprehended by the heroes. Unfortunately, he'd arrived home only a few minutes ago. She hadn't gone to greet him. She wasn't to be seen or heard unless he said otherwise.

She found him sitting in the living room, staring longingly at the extinguished fireplace. She was surprised to find that he was drenched to the bone. A quick glance out of one of the windows confirmed that it wasn't raining. He must have fallen into a large body of water of some kind. Whatever the case, he was suffering for it at the moment. Plagg floated nearby, silent, barely a ghost of what he usually was. His gaze fixed the young man almost absently, as if the kwami was willing himself to be anywhere else but right here at this point in time. Nathalie lingered for a moment, uncertain. She could already tell that things hadn't gone quite as planned.

Her hesitation was met with a glare and a swift verbal reprimand:

"What part of _"If I call, you come immediately."_ , didn't you understand?!"

"Maybe if you would stop kicking me, my leg would heal up and I'd be able to move faster." She managed through clenched teeth.

His expression hardened, irritation replaced with outright anger. Over the past few days, Nathalie had mastered the art of bracing herself without appearing to do so. Whilst physical outbursts were proving to be comparatively rare since that first night, he still wasn't beyond dealing the occasional blow, usually out of spite. Whilst sometimes she could directly associate the action with its cause, more often than not they appeared to be somewhat random. A passing fancy would cause the young man to twist her arm as far as it would go or to try and trip her as she walked past. One thing she did know was that he liked to see how far he could push things. If, for the time being, she was going to presume that her life was safe – he'd had ample opportunity to kill her after all – that didn't mean that Kahn didn't take some sick pleasure in causing her to doubt that fact. In short, he liked to scare her, more so to remind her just why she was afraid of him. If he saw her flinch or anticipate an act, he would either let it go and then lash out a few moments later when she wasn't prepared or go for it anyway with a vengeance. It was a game, she was still learning the rules.

Being talked back to wasn't something her current employer seemed to appreciate. The few times that her temper had flared causing her to snap back without thinking properly about the potential consequences, he'd been sure to ensure that the punishment dealt out wasn't one she would easily forget for a good hour or so.

Tonight however, he seemed to be a little more reluctant. It would seem that freezing weather, was enough to dampen even his spirits. Not that Nathalie was complaining. He remained surprisingly quiet.

"Rough night?" The woman took yet another chance.

"I suggest you go and fetch me a towel."

She wasn't about to argue or debate matters. Instead, the woman left to one of the bathrooms here she was quick to get a couple of towels. Bringing them to her captor without further complaint. She didn't ask what had happened, she could tell already that whatever had happened, it hadn't been what Kahn had planned. That meant that in all likelihood, the others were safe. She forced herself not to smile at the thought. There was still some hope.

He seemed to be surprisingly put-out from his defeat. She most certainly hadn't been expecting him to celebrate failure but this was as something of a surprise. Evidently he had underestimated his foes and his initial bravado had been misplaced. Now, shaken, he tried to make sense of things. She was surprised (albeit pleasantly) by the apparent lack of hostility he was demonstrating. Rather than the monster that she had grown somewhat accustomed to these past few days, he seemed to be far more sedate, his mind evidently elsewhere.

Nathalie felt no sympathy for the man.

Still, she decided to test just how far she could push things. Her leg was burning once more and she needed to find a way of allowing it to rest. So, slowly but surely, the woman made her way over to a nearby armchair. Her limp caused the affected limb to drag slightly as she went. It couldn't be helped. Still, Adrien seemed more preoccupied by the ashes in the fireplace than he did with her. Even when she took her seat, he didn't do so much as bat an eyelid. For a few moments, she allowed herself to relax.

True, he might kill her in a matter of seconds as soon as he snapped out of whatever trance-like state he'd slipped into but that didn't seem to matter right now. It was with a strange form of acceptance that the former assistant had come to the realization that her life plainly wasn't her own any more. It could be ended whenever her captor saw fit. Whilst the prospect was hardly an appealing one, it wasn't something which seemed to be worth constantly fretting about. Instead, the woman was rather more inclined to accept things as and when they came. Right now, she was being offered a brief respite, for whatever reason and that wasn't something that she was inclined to turn up her nose at.

Her body was grateful, there could be no doubt about that.

"He loves that girl, doesn't he?" Adrien's voice, softer than she'd heard it spoken in quite some time took her by surprise.

"Marinette? Yes of course he does. I thought you knew that." She frowned somewhat, concerned by the sudden change.

"He's not telling me much." The young man tapped his head. "One of the few areas he's not playing ball."

"Well I hope he's giving you a migraine."

She received a cold glare as a response but her initial assumption was proved correct. He made no effort to punish her. At least now, she had the beginnings of a suspicion about just what the cause was. It would seem that even with a madman inside of his body and taking control of his mind, there was something in there which still cared for the girl. It was enough of a revelation to prompt Nathalie to do a little more digging:

"I'm assuming she took you by surprise."

"You could say that..." Once more, he looked away thoughtful. "It's been a while since I last kissed a girl and Adrien… Ten years of abstinence! What a saintly fool!"

"I never asked…" She opted not to respond to the last part. "Did you, as Kahn, I mean before- Did you have anybody?"

"Yes." His response was blunt, cold. "I had three women… And a daughter."

She couldn't have sworn it but she could have sworn his voice softened slightly. They would be long dead by now. It did cause her to wonder if he might have possibly had some descendants. A part of the woman didn't want to care. It was simple curiosity which caused her to act the way that she did. In the scheme of things, they knew almost nothing about Kahn. The other kwamis only knew the basics which could be summed up by he had caused an awful lot of trouble centuries ago. Plagg, who naturally had been closer in the literal sense than the others, had always been reluctant to tell many tales.

He hadn't said a word since it had become apparent that Adrien was no longer in control of his own body. The kwami was as much a prisoner as she was.

Since for once, it would seem that her captor didn't mind answering some of her questions, she decided to ask another:

"What are you going to do once you have the miraculouses?"

"What my father and his father intended: live forever." The response was simplistic, almost as if it should have been obvious to her.

"And do what? It's not the same world that it was."

"I'll do whatever I please."

Was that a threat or a statement? Likely both. He was a brute. She didn't really know what she was expecting. He didn't seem to have a plan. Given how long ago it had been since when the original Kahn was alive, she couldn't begin to fathom just what he would make of this new world. Did he still think that he could shape it to fit in with his own designs?

His attention drifted back over to her. Green eyes fixed the older woman. She tried not to let her discomfort and unease show. Instead, looking back at him. It was impossible to know just what was going through his mind. Something cruel, that much was a fair bet. She couldn't recall him ever doing anything but try to hurt others. It seemed to be pretty much all that his life revolved around at this point. It was his only interest.

"What would you say to Australia?"

"What?"

"The continent." He actually appeared to be serious, not taunting. "You want it?"

"What would I do with a continent?..." Nathalie shook her head slowly, trying her best to put an end to this discussion.

"I don't know… You must have wanted _something_." He stressed that part, leaning forwards in his chair. "Otherwise why else would you have helped Adrien's dear _père_?"

"The man was Hawk Moth, what did you think I was going to stand up to him?"

Adrien frowned. She made a mistake and looked away, pretending that she had something far better to do in rubbing her leg, trying to soothe some of the pain and alleviate some of the tension. It was a tell tale sign. Usually, when telling the truth, she had no qualms about looking him in the eye. She had done so before and would do so again. Her heart rate accelerated from a mixture of fear and shame. It was a subject which the son of her former employer had never once raised with her and that had suited her quite nicely. Now, it was Kahn who sought to reopen old wounds.

She knew why he was doing it, seeking some kind of a reaction. Trying to get under her skin. It wasn't exactly the first time he'd tried it. So she tried her best to ignore him. He continued to contemplate her, his expression was somewhere between curiosity and smugness, scratching at the stubble under his chin he seemed to be inclined to let grow:

"No… That's not it. I've seen you, you're not a coward." There was that terrible grin again. "You let poor little Adrien suffer all those years, it hurt him you know."

"Of course I know that!" She snapped perhaps a little too quickly.

"So why'd you do it? He loves you. Did he ever tell you that? No, he wouldn't have. Too timid, too afraid. You were another mother..." She turned away, trying her best to ignore him and let him know that she wasn't about to play his game. "You left him to suffer alone, not even able to see his friends when he wanted. You lied to him and hurt him. It wasn't out of fear… Was it _love_?"

She tensed up. There was something about Kahn. She didn't know what was going on in his mind but it felt like he knew more than he should have. Was it just guessing or studying her which enabled him to make such comments or was he drawing on what Adrien already knew and/or suspected. The mere thought of the latter scenario was enough to send a shiver down her spine. She'd always kept her feelings close to her chest, afraid to let the world see her shame.

Nearby, Kahn laughed. All she could do was cringe, fearing what was to come:

"So it was _love_! Not for Adrien though… Oh! That's it! It was his dear _papa_ , wasn't it?" Again, she didn't answer, closing her eyes and praying for it to be over. "You loved Gabriel Agreste! A married man! What? Did you think he'd just forget about his beloved Emilie? That his son would accept you as his new mother?! Pathetic! Answer me!"

"I- I..." He knew and she didn't have a clue how to respond.

"All that suffering for a love that could never be returned! Is that why you hurt Adrien by pretending that you didn't care? Because you were too ashamed to admit that-!"

"Enough!"

She practically screams at him. The anger brought on by a mixture of pain and suffering endured throughout the past day or so have pushed her to the brink. Likely Kahn is trying to see if he can give her that little nudge required to ensure that she falls well and truly off of the side. Another day, she might have cried. It takes a fair amount of self-control for her to avoid giving in to despair. She's been trying to be strong, knowing that the man only does this because he wants to get to her. If she was able to keep up the allusion that his words were meaningless, then she'd rather been hoping that he would give up and lose interest.

Breathing rapidly, she realized that she'd failed. The anger died away, replaced instead with shame. It didn't seem to matter that it wasn't actually Adrien that she was faced with. It was a confession that she had never made before. Keeping the truth hidden close to her heart, she had hoped to prevent it from ever coming to light. There was a look of beaming triumph behind the young man's eyes as he fixed her. She shook her head slowly, broken and accepting defeat:

"Y-you've made your point."

"Aw..." There was a slight creak from the chair as Adrien got to his feet. "Chin up Nat. There's plenty more fish in the sea."

The woman said nothing, simply closing her eyes. She felt so tired… This was draining her strength almost as much as the peacock miraculous once had. It wasn't the first time that he had managed to push her this far, the surprise good news was that she would be of no interest to him any more. He tended to get bored if he didn't think his victims were likely to react.

Sure enough, a few moments later, she heard him get up from where he had once been sitting. He walked right past her without so much as a second glance. Kahn spent much of his days planning. At least that's what she guessed he was doing. He could easily spent two hours staring into space or lying down somewhere, seemingly resting. He'd only been here for a short while, the fact that he seemed ready to move so soon struck the woman as being dangerous enough as to warrant what little strength she had left to give. She opened her right eye, glancing at the young man:

"Where are you going?"

"To finish this." He spoke somewhat more sombrely. "They've had their fun… Now it's about time that I end it. Don't worry, you'll understand in a little while."

Nathalie opened her mouth, ready to question further. The look that she received was enough to silence her however. She averted her gaze, recognizing that he didn't feel like debating the matter any further and that it would be wise for her to make herself discrete if she wanted to avoid another lesson being handed out at her expense.

She'd fine out soon enough…

Marinette waited in silence or rather Ladybug did.

They had been moved to a slightly more secure and discreet part of the building. It had been a few hours since they had first arrived but since then, they had heard precious little. The doctors were too busy with their friend. Alya had assured Marinette that he was both conscious and coherent when she had dropped him off. Breathing was difficult however. The medical staff who had greeted the hero and the casualty she had brought with her – as surprised as they had been to see such a sight – had seemed fairly confident in diagnosing some broken ribs. How many they couldn't say but the symptoms (namely pain when taking a breath) seemed to fit well enough.

His former girlfriend remained troubled however. Her mind wouldn't be easy until she knew for certain that he was safe and out of danger. Ladybug herself was frazzled, even with her powers, she could feel bruises begin to form, leaving parts of her body sensitive.

Marinette was well and truly exhausted. Hawk Moth's akumas had somehow been easier to bear than this. They assaults had only tended to be comparatively brief and whilst they had lasted the course of several years, at least they had had the opportunity to rest and recover in between battles. As of yet, Kahn, despite being alone, hadn't offered them that chance. As soon as they attempted to relax and regain some of their strength, something else came up: be it Adrien's initial kidnapping, his suddenly turning out to be possessed or his most recent raid on Luka's boat, it seemed as if he was utterly relentless.

It was hard for the young woman to get the image of his piercing green eyes from her psyche. Given that they were in essence Adrien's, it was hard to understand how they could be so different. They haunted her, just like that laugh of his. The young woman found herself constantly reaching out to feel her ears, ensuring that both of the earrings were back in place. She shuddered thinking back to it. Everything had happened so fast. It had been a couple of hours but she could still feel his lips against her own.

It was something that she desperately wanted to erase from her mind.

Her thoughts were disturbed as a doctor and a nurse emerged from the room. As tired as they looked, they seemed to be relaxed enough to comfort those waiting. The heroes got to their feet, quickly gathering, anxious for news. It wasn't long in coming:

"You're friend's going to be alright. He broke six ribs. What were those scratches? Looked like he was mauled by a tiger."

"If only..."

Ladybug's comment earned some raised eyebrows. She paid the medical staff little attention, simply eager to see the young man.

They found him lying in bed, pale but surprisingly conscious. Marinette had been expecting him to be sleeping following the ordeal that he'd just been through. Instead, he greeted them with a smile. It failed to hide the entirety of his suffering. It was fair to assume that they'd given him some painkillers to help with his broken bones. All the same, the girl knew from her own personal experience that there was only so much that they could do to combat the discomfort. Outside, she could still hear her friends talking with the doctors, assuring them that he wouldn't need any shots.

It had been a monster, not an animal which had attacked him.

Ladybug however only had eyes for the patient. It was impossible not to feel a certain degree of shame. She'd been the one to drag him into all of this. It hadn't even occurred to her to give him the snake miraculous. If she had, then Cat Noir's claw-like nails wouldn't have been able to rip through the skin of his arms and torso. Whilst the wounds were now covered over with thick bandages and had no doubt been thoroughly treated beforehand, they would likely still leave a permanent mark and would sting for the foreseeable future.

She approached slowly, stopping by the side of his bed. Luka smiled gently but said nothing. He didn't need to. Behind his kind eyes, she could read everything that he wanted her to know: he was alright, she didn't need to worry.

"Hey there…" She spoke softly to him.

"Hi..." His voice was somewhat broken, made worse by the presence of a slight wheeze.

It was awkward. Both of them could feel it. Luka had come terribly close to losing his life. There was little doubt in Marinette's mind that Kahn would have killed him had he been given the opportunity to do so. He'd been heading over to finish the - at that point helpless - young man before Ladybug had succeeded in stopping him. She knew that her friend was brave but it was seeing just how far he'd been willing to go and just what he'd suffered that had brought back to her just how much he meant to her.

"Are you okay?" He asked after a few moments.

"Me?!" The young woman repeated, surprised. "You're the one in hospital!"

"I know but-" He paused, hissing for a moment as he shifted in an attempt to make himself more comfortable. "After we ended up in the water, we lost sight of you."

"Yeah… I'm fine."

She hated lying to him but telling Luka about the exact details of her encounter with Kahn was an equally unappealing prospect. She didn't want to have to confess to him just how terrified and powerless she'd felt. She didn't want to dump her doubts and fears on him, not right now. Best he think that it was all under control and that they had a plan.

Blue eyes softened as they fixed her. There was only so much that could be said here however… It was suspicious enough that Paris' heroes had returned so abruptly and without any obvious signs of an akuma or sentimonster, which in the eyes of the locals was almost the sole purpose for the miraculous holders to exist. They didn't want to start a panic. That would no doubt only serve Kahn's purposes. Equally likely, if the officials got wind of the fact that Adrien Agreste now presented a threat, they could easily go after him. That would only end in a bloodbath and one which she wasn't entirely convinced that Kahn could win, no matter how brutal he had become.

"I'm sorry." She muttered after a little while. "I should never have dragged you into all of this."

"Don't apologize..." He closed his eyes for a moment. "I wanted to help. You couldn't have kept me away."

"I dropped my guard. Kahn played us..."

"We won't make the same mistake again." Rena Rouge came in with the other two heroes following behind her. "This time we'll be ready."

It would have been easy for them to become both fearful and pessimistic. They had to remember that they still had a major advantage both in terms of numbers and miraculouses. It was true, Marinette had rather been hoping that she could have turned to Viperion as an added ally but with Luka in his current condition, that wasn't going to be possible.

It was time to get back to business. Whilst they were most definitely exhausted, they couldn't afford to rest until they had a plan. It was a fair bet that Kahn would be formulating one. He too would probably need some sleep until he could act safely but he would be coming for them. After all, they had what he wanted. For a moment, she contemplated suggesting that they all move outside and allow Luka some much needed rest. She hesitated however, reasoning that it would be best if he were kept in the loop. At least that way, if something did happen to them, someone, somewhere would know what had occurred.

"We'll have to call the police, see if they can provide you with some protection." Marinette informed him knowing full well that they wouldn't stand a chance against Kahn should he attack. "We can't afford for Kahn to have any more hostages or to let him take us by surprise. We got lucky with the boat. Next time, I doubt he'll ask."

He could have killed them in their sleep. For whatever reason, he'd hesitated and as a result they were still alive. They were unlikely to be as fortunate a second time. Kahn didn't seem like the type to make the same mistake twice. He'd also underestimated them, that much had been made clear by how much he had struggled with Luka, notionally a mere human.

They would have to be prepared. They would have to bring the fight to Kahn, not wait until he tracked them down. That's what his cult had done when they'd managed to apprehend Adrien. They'd tracked him relentlessly and then struck when he was vulnerable. It would take nothing less to defeat the man who had taken possession of his body. Things such as just what they would do once they managed to bring him down could be dealt with later. The main thing that they needed to focus on was ensuring that Nathalie, his prisoner was safe and that he couldn't harm anyone else.

"Something's bugging me..." Nino confessed to the group. "He had your earring, I saw him."

"He did?!" Luka was unable to conceal his concern from them.

"Yeah..." It wasn't something that Marinette was all that proud about. "Just the one though."

"He could have grabbed both. Wouldn't that have made him like, super powerful?" Chloe questioned, naturally turning towards Ladybug.

"He could wish for anything. Anything at all." It was a fact they had all been acutely aware of during Hawk Moth's reign of terror. "Given what he's like, it's a fair bet it wouldn't be anything good."

At the time, Marinette hadn't given much thought as to why Kahn had only taken the one earring. He could have taken both. Instead, he's seemed far more eager to try and get her to tell him where the Book and other miraculouses were. There were only a handful of explanations as to just why he would have done that. They couldn't discount arrogance. It was clear from the way that he had behaved that he considered himself to be far above them in terms of skill and power. He wasn't wrong. Maybe that had prompted him to be reckless. It was another possibility however which the young woman found herself envisioning:

"I don't think he knows how to make a wish..." She muttered frowning pensively. "I think he needs the book."

"Good luck with that. Doesn't it need someone to translate it?" Rena Rouge knew that it wasn't as simple as just reading the thing, otherwise they would have lost to Hawk Moth long ago.

"It used to be Master Fu but he's dead now… Adrien knows!"

Adrien had told her as much in the past when she'd enquired about just what he'd been doing during the decade that he'd spent in Tibet. A part of that had been studying the book, no easy feat given that Master Fu himself had been a novice when he'd left after the order's destruction. They'd spent a lot of time figuring out things and trying to decipher the book. There was only ten or so pages left, something which the young man had assured them could easily take him another year or perhaps even two to finish the task. The fact remained however that he could read the passages, including those required to make a wish.

Luka had already informed them that according to Nathalie, Adrien was still in there somewhere and that the man who had taken control of his body had access to a fair amount of his knowledge, if not its entirety. They could only assume that he hadn't committed the pages of the book to memory, otherwise Kahn would no doubt have made more of an effort to grab both of her earrings. He could have used them then and there and they wouldn't be standing here having this discussion.

"So if he gets his hands on the miraculous and the book, it's game over?" Chloe sums up eventually.

"Yep but we don't want him getting either of them. Even without my earrings, if he has the book he can give himself power-ups and who knows what else!"

"We should hide it." Alya declared, arms folded across her chest. "That way, if anything happens to us, he still won't know where it is."

A good idea, assuming that Kahn didn't have a way to make them talk. Perhaps they could give it to a friend whom they all trusted? Then that would put another's life in danger. It seemed for every idea they had, there was an equally big drawback… Remaining idle however clearly wasn't an option. It would only be so long before their enemy tracked them down.

There were a good few candidates, namely other former miraculous holders. It would be difficult to explain matters to them, especially without giving away their secret identities. It was crucial however that they understand that whatever happened, they mustn't give the book to Adrien or Cat Noir. The mere request would likely raise suspicions but for the time being, the group agreed that they didn't have any choice. They must have looked strange to some of the doctors, nurses and other members of hospital staff, standing in the room, planning amongst themselves.

The seriousness of the discussion was disturbed by a sudden ringing. It was Marinette's phone which was the one to go off. Given what was currently going on, she was rather inclined to ignore it. Curiosity however pushed the young woman to check. It was her mother calling.

Of course, her parents would have heard about the boat. They would be worried. Not just her but also for Luka. They liked the lad, he was kind and gentle. It was difficult to find many people who didn't appreciate his company. No doubt they would be calling to ensure that he was alright and that their daughter hadn't decided, for whatever reason, to pay a visit to her on-off boyfriend of the past ten years. Perhaps, the young man's parents and sister had been trying to reach him and had failed and therefore had started turning towards those whom they felt might have been able to offer some insight into just what had happened.

If nothing else, she would be able to assure them that she was alright and that they didn't need to worry about her. She apologized to her understanding friends, pulling it out and calming herself to the best of her ability so as to ensure she didn't frighten them:

"Hi mom..." She made no effort to conceal her exhaustion given the circumstances.

"Hey there Bugaboo..."

She recognized the voice in a heartbeat and felt her blood turn to ice which each syllable that it articulated. She didn't need to see his face to imagine him smirking. It was clear just in the tone of his voice that he was taking particular pleasure in surprising her. Marinette checked the number again, it was indeed coming from her parent's mobile. Her mouth ran dry, unable to formulate even the slightest response. She'd turned pale, frozen standing there.

Her friends stared. Whilst they couldn't hear who was on the other end, no doubt the change in Ladybug's demeanour was enough to clue them in to the fact that something was terribly wrong.

"Bring me the book and all of the miraculous. I suggest that you don't keep me waiting. I only need the one hostage after all..." There was a brief pause, perhaps he was hoping for some kind of answer before he finished. "See you soon Marinette."


	26. Crossfire

Cat Noir appeared to be especially proud of himself having just brought in two middle-aged bakers. Tom looked a little the worse for wear, no doubt the man had put up something of a fight. His wife seemed to be quiet but otherwise had been spared. Both were confused and visibly frightened out of their wits by what had happened. They had been sleeping in their beds when they had received an unwelcome visitor. Naturally, they had welcomed the hero of Paris, until he had abruptly turned on them.

"Wasn't easy." Adrien took especial pleasure in gloating about his feats to the woman standing next to him. "You try carrying that big man across the rooftops."

Nathalie didn't reply. All she could do was stare that the Dupain-Chengs, feeling nothing but sympathy for them. She didn't know the couple all that well but recalled that back in the day, they had been particularly difficult to akumatize. That seemed to indicate that they enjoyed a happy life, free from much of the strife and anger which could and would otherwise corrupt their hearts, turning them to darkness and making them into the slaves of Hawk Moth. They didn't deserve this. They had been condemned to this solely because they were related to Marinette and therefore useful as leverage.

The woman felt awkward under their accusing glances. They seemed to be holding her accountable for this, no doubt assuming that she had found herself a new master. Perhaps they even suspected that it was Adrien Agreste who hid behind the mask.

She felt shame and struggled to look at them. Instead distracting herself by watching Adrien as he played with a knife, tossing it in the air then catching it by the blade before it fell down. It took all of her self-control to avoid averting her gaze. The woman had no idea just why she had been brought up here but was already confident that it meant nothing good. For the time being, he seemed to be content to gloat about his accomplishments. She could already see where this was going. The Dupain-Chengs made the perfect hostages and bait. With them here, Marinette was sure to come running.

Nathalie stood straight and said nothing. She knew her place. Provoking Kahn would only make things worse. That of course assumed that the man didn't expect or want her to comment. It was impossible to know for sure just what he intended. His attention drifted from her to his other two prisoners.

"How long do you think she'll be?"

"Considering?" For a moment, Nathalie tried to imagine just what it would be like if it were her parents at risk. "She'll be here in a heartbeat."

"Well, then… Perhaps I should grab a catnap." Cat Noir replied flexing his shoulder blades. "Before calling her. I imagine she'll be with blue guitar boy right now, assuming he survived."

"Guitar boy?.." Tom muttered thoughtfully. "You mean Luka! What have you done to him?!"

There was some fight behind Tom Dupain-Cheng's words. It wasn't lost on Kahn. The man turned around to face him. He frowned, as if he couldn't quite believe that the man would be so brazen as to risk picking a fight with him. Nathalie felt her heart sink as she realized just what was going to happen. It took literally nothing for the man to go after blood. Speaking to him in such a manner was certain to provoke him. Already, she could see that spark of cruelty making its way back behind the brute's eyes. It was as dangerous as it was thrilled at the prospect of what was to come.

He approached slowly, in a predatory like manner. Still, Tom stood his ground. He was a big man, perhaps too large for most to even contemplate fighting. Kahn of course wasn't so easily put off. The baker instinctively encouraged his wife to stand behind him, acting as a physical barrier to protect her. It wouldn't be enough. Adrien raised himself to his full height, hands open and fingers taught, clearly preparing to slice through some more flesh.

"You got something you want to say to me Tom?" If they listened, they would hear very clearly just who it was.

"What do you want?" Despite the situation, the man still put on a brave face.

"With you? Nothing..." Cat Noir left a pause for effect before smirking coldly. "It's your precious little daughter I'm interested in."

"Marinette?!"

It was like a red rag to a bull. Tom clenched his hands, balling them into fists. His face distorted into a snarl. Suddenly, compared to him, Cat Noir looked as if he was tiny. Still, the young man didn't seem fazed. That mocking little smile of his was there, perhaps he tried to hide it a little from the baker. He didn't want to clue the father in to his game. It was clear that it was a taunt. Albeit a true one. In truth, he didn't care about the Dupain-Chengs in themselves. All he wanted was the miraculous. Marinette just happened to be the one who was in possession of them. That made her a target.

Tom lunged at the young man. It seemed to be little more than a formality for Cat Noir to block the attack. He didn't even blink. He raised a hand, stepping to one side in order to avoid the fist. Like lightning, he lashed out and grabbed the man's wrist, twisting it backwards until the bones threatened to crack. The man let out a loud yelp of pain and was eventually brought down to his knees. Kahn smirked, raising his hand back behind him, ready to deal a blow of his own. Sabine was quick to rush forwards to her husband's defence but barely even seemed to register. One or two of them, he'd tear them apart all the same.

Nathalie tried to distance herself from what was about to happen. She'd lived through it herself and knew there was nothing to be done. From the looks of them, they were aware that this could easily be it. She saw fear but also love as they clung to one another. It was something that she'd never had. Someone to be there for her when she needed it...

Oh to hell with it!

"Don't!"

The words just slipped out. Nathalie rushed forwards, positioning herself between the two of them.

In some respects, the tactic seemed to work. Startled, Kahn backed off. It likely wasn't the fact that he didn't want to harm her so much as the fact he very clearly hadn't anticipated her intervention. He blinked a few times, clearly shocked as he fixed her. The way that Cat Noir looked at her, it was almost as if she was an alien. She didn't make any theatrical gestures. She just stood there, a physical barricade. There were a dozen ways that he could have made her move. He could have shoved her to one side, struck her down or even likely just stepped to one side. He didn't however.

That gave her a few moments, to think. To express herself and justify her actions. Already, she could see his face behind to cloud over with the same old rage.

"What do you think Marinette's going to do if she gets here and finds you've harmed her parents?"

Her words didn't even seem to register. Kahn continued his approach. It was his standard tactic which he adopted; one of very simple intimidation. He was larger and stronger than her and could kill her in a heartbeat. It was a fact he was quick to remind her of. Nathalie didn't move. Behind her, she could sense the fear of the Dupain-Chengs. Sabine tugged briefly at her sleeve, eager to get her to back down. Still, she held her ground, even as Kahn towered over her, breathing down her neck, so close that their noses were almost touching. He truly seemed to have no concept of personal space.

He spoke in a low and dangerous voice:

"Nathalie, as cute as your periodic acts heroism are, they are are beginning to wear a little thin on my patience. I suggest you give them a rest before you find yourself with a symmetrical face again."

"Of course."

He was gone a second later and she was too terrified to question just why.

Breathing, perhaps not a sigh of relief but at least allowing oxygen out and in of her lungs once more, she felt the tension in her muscles vanish as she threatened to collapse. It took all of her self-control to remain calm. Perhaps now the family would realize just who or rather what they were faced with. She turned back to face them. They were lucky, it was unlucky that they would be as fortunate another time. As such, Nathalie only had one piece of advice to give:

"Stay quiet and do what he says or else he'll kill you." She left a pause before adding under her voice. "I know what I'm talking about."

They didn't question, having already seen enough. Instead, both sat down, in a corner, holding onto one another. It was all they could do.

Nathalie's attention turned back towards Cat Noir. He seemed to have lost interest in them abruptly. Instead, he climbed up into the rafters of the lair. The darkness of the beams made it difficult to keep track of him. She listened but found him to be silent. He would be up there somewhere, just waiting, ready to pounce. She tried not to think about it too much. He would come down quickly and quietly, striking in a split second and likely taking them by surprise.

Instead, with her legs shaking, she lowered herself down so that she was sitting. Her injuries and the shock of everything that had recently made her feel heavy and unresponsive. At this point, the rest of the world barely even seems to register any longer. There's nothing more to be done than to wait. Ladybug and her friends will be coming. After that, they would have to fight or die. Can they stop Kahn? She honestly didn't know. Closing her eyes for a moment, Nathalie resigned herself to the reality that they found themselves in.

"Any moment now..." Came the voice from somewhere above their heads.

Ladybug and her friends weren't far behind. Cat Noir would kill one of her parents if she hesitated just to make a point. That left them with precious little time. They'd have to fight. Bringing the book and the miraculouses had been out of the question so they'd left them with Luka who had promised to call one of the others to have them spirited away to somewhere safe where Kahn would never be able to get his hands on them. He wished them luck. It was all that he could do.

If they failed, their enemy would almost certainly come for him.

The group set off for the Agreste mansion. All four of them were ready and expecting the worst. They didn't feel the need to make their approach particularly stealthy. Kahn would see them coming and be ready for them. It would almost certainly be a head on fight. At least that's what they were anticipating. For that reason, they would stay together. Their greatest strength would be their superior number. One on one, Ladybug didn't fancy their chances. Their strategy was a simple one: take Cat Noir down no matter what. For that, Queen Bee would be indispensable.

As they walked through the halls however, they found them to be empty. The lights were off but there was no trace of anyone inside. The heroes formed a circle, each watching the other's back as they made their way through the seemingly deserted home. It was difficult to be in this place like this without thinking back to their childhood and their battles against Hawk Moth. Even in broad daylight, there was something about the place which felt off. It was a wonder that Adrien and Nathalie managed to stomach living here full time.

It was that chain of thought which lead Marinette to a simple conclusion:

"He'll be in Hawk Moth's lair..."

It made sense. As cocky as Kahn might be, he wouldn't want the fight potentially spilling out into the streets. The place where Adrien's father and mother had made their final stand. It seemed almost fitting in an odd way that he would go there.

There were echoes of the past here.

They entered Gabriel's old study cautiously. The portrait of Adrien's mother, a former enemy of theirs still hung ominously. They knew the code which would allow them to use the elevator to access Hawk Moth's lair. That was to assume that he hadn't changed the password. There would be another problem however. Only one of them would fit at a time. By definition, that would leave them terribly exposed. They spent a few moments contemplating the issue before Carapace offered to go.

He would keep his guard up. He could protect himself for long enough, even from Cataclysm to allow his teammates to join him. They contemplated sending in an illusion curtsy of Rena Rouge but that wouldn't be as efficient. Cat Noir would simply destroy it and still have the opportunity to ambush the next person to come up.

"Good luck."

The words seemed to be ineffective, almost pathetic. It was all they could offer their friend however as he disappeared. The young man offered them a warm smile and promised the woman he loved that he would be alright. They could only hope that he would be correct.

With their hearts in their mouths, they waited. It would be less than a minute before they could join them but each and every second felt like an eternity trickling by. It was impossible not to envision the absolute worst. In silence, they listened. Fearing that at any moment they might hear an agonised cry from somewhere above their heads as Cat Noir struck down his target. Instead, all that they got was nothing. In some ways, that was worse: not knowing. Rena Rouge was next to go, she simply wouldn't wait any longer. She disappeared. Marinette went next. Allowing Queen Bee to follow up behind.

Travelling through the elevator was a terrifying experience. It was cramped and dark and invited all of the worst thoughts into her mind. What was in reality only a few seconds seemed to stretch out so as to last far longer. She closed her eyes, trying to steady her breath. She had to be ready. Being ready didn't mean being tense. She did her best to relax herself. Things were too tight for her to swing her yoyo. So she contented herself with holding it tightly against her, ready for everything.

In a flash, she emerged into the room and took a breath of air.

She staggered forwards. Her mind and heart were racing as she expected to find herself in the middle of a life and death battle. She had to stop and do a double-take when she realized that there was nothing. Her eyes were quick to settle on the figures of her parents. They were in the corner of the room, Carapace and Rena Rouge were already by their side. Nathalie was there also, her strength seemed to have completely left her. Something which she instantly noticed however was that their attention wasn't focused on her, so much as it was the rafters of the building.

He was up there…

"No sign of him!" Rena Rouge called out to her.

"He could be anywhere..." Was Carapace's quiet response.

One touch. One touch from his cataclysm and one of them would be dead.

With his dark suit and night vision, he would have the advantage up there. He would both be able to blend into the shadows and disappear. He was still up there. He couldn't even have slipped out. There was only the elevator which acted as an entrance or exit.

No he would be waiting up there, hunting. Whatever he was waiting for, apparently having all of his enemies gathered together wasn't quite enough. What else could there be? She was fearful, refusing to even blink least it cost her her life. On the other hand, they plainly couldn't stay here like this. Marinette attempted to formulate a plan in her mind. She had to summon her courage, to breathe deeply and make sense of what was going on. Remaining idle would inevitably play into their enemy's hands. She was going to have to take the initiative.

"Mr. and Mrs. Dupain-Cheng, we're getting you out of here." The young woman's gaze fell upon the figure of Adrien's former assistant. "You too Nathalie."

The woman didn't acknowledge the statement, her eyes were fixed only upon the rafters. So the hero turned towards her parents. She'd rescued them before. Always, she had to try and put some distance between herself and them, emotionally at least. They were just other faces that Ladybug had to save. They were however looking at her differently, there was no denying that. She didn't know how they had been taken, what they knew and what they had been able to guess. If Nathalie was here, then maybe they'd put two and two together and realized just who they were dealing with behind Cat Noir's mask.

The couple were fixing her in a way that she'd never seen before. She didn't know what to make of it. It wasn't hostility but neither was it the same reverence which she was more accustomed to receiving. There was a gentleness behind their eyes which, given the current situation, she could only describe as being somewhat worrying. After a few moments, it was Sabine who finally spoke in the gentlest of voices:

"We know it's you sweetie."

Just like that, the disguise which had lasted over a decade fell. Ladybug could only stare at her parents. They said nothing but gave her one of those gentle and understanding smiles that she was accustomed to receiving. The way that they were looking at her just seemed to scream: _It's okay. You don't have to pretend any more._ For a moment, she contemplated playing dumb. She could have told them they were wrong. She wasn't Marinette, their daughter, she was someone else. She was Ladybug.

No such claim would come out however. Instead, her own gaze softened as she fixed them:

"I'm sorry for not telling you. I wanted you to be safe…" She shook her head slowly, bitter regret setting in. "Guess I messed that up."

Her mother slipped her arms around her shoulders, pulling her in for a hug. Marinette didn't resist. Even right now, there was something inexplicably comforting about her parents. She wanted to close her eyes, to forget about the world around her.

Perhaps some kind words of advice and comfort would have been given were it not for the devil which dropped upon them. It was silent, a shadow which seemed to materialize out of nowhere. Before any of them could process just what was happening, Rena Rouge was down, a quick blow to her temple sent the hero crashing to the floor. Next to her, Carapace and Queen Bee jumped back, taken by surprise. They had just enough time to raise their defences as their enemy smashed into them.

His attack was as quick as it was brutal. He left them on the ground but gave them no opportunity to recover. He didn't speak or taunt as he had done previously, the aim was clear, to take down as many of them as he could as rapidly as possible. He danced around, leaped over their heads. He moved like grease lightning, made himself difficult to follow. Queen Bee readied her spinning top but struggled to get a fix on her enemy. Carapace was eager to rejoin his friend, every attempt he made however he found himself forced to dash backwards to avoid his foe's attacks. Somehow, Cat Noir was somehow both everywhere and nowhere at the same time. He made use of the shadows, disappearing before charging them once more.

They were in trouble. Marinette recognized that much in a heartbeat. Panic set in but she fought against it, concentrating as hard as she could on the matter at hand:

"Come on!" She pushed her parents towards the elevator. "We've got to get you out of here!"

They didn't object, allowing themselves to be hurried along back towards the elevator. The other heroes must have caught on to what she intended to do as they attempted to cover for her, ensuring that their enemy couldn't come anywhere near her. She could hear them struggle and shout. It took all of her self-discipline not to look over her shoulder, to trust that her allies had the ability to protect her whilst she ensured that the civilians were safe. It occurred to her as she ran along that she had no idea whatsoever what had happened to Nathalie. She didn't dare check but Ladybug was reasonably confident that the woman hadn't moved. She was spent and had already given everything that she had.

She couldn't afford to give much thought to the matter. If Nathalie was just sitting there, then she likely wouldn't pose a threat. Cat Noir would likely have other matters on his mind and leave her be.

A second later, she found herself faced with Carapace. The young man was now sporting a nasty scratch on the right side of his face, just above his eyebrow. His eyes were wide and panicked. No doubt he had just experienced first hand what their enemy was capable of. She didn't question him, ensuring that her parents were as close as possible. There was a sudden loud bellow as he summoned forth his power:

"Protect!"

The shield was raised around them. There was an audible "thud" as Cat Noir crashed into it. He must have only been a couple of feet away from them. There was none of the mockery that she'd been used to. No. He was taking this dangerously seriously. His green eyes were wild. Whilst there might have been a barrier in place, it didn't feel like it would be enough. He pressed his head against the forcefield, almost trying to grind it through. He was breathing heavily, anger and frustration radiating from him. After a moment, he stepped away and began to pace. Only a couple of steps one way and then another few the next. Like a lion waiting for its meal, he didn't even blink as he fixed them.

Carapace gasped, falling to his knees. Marinette was quick to run to his side. He was out of breath, evidently in some pain. As concerned as she was, another thought came to her. The others would now be trapped out there with Kahn. It was with a certain amount of relief that she realized that Queen Bee had managed to carry a still unconscious Rena Rouge over to them. She did however look decidedly shaken.

Ladybug had missed most of the fight but surely it had only lasted a few seconds. A terrible feeling of dread settled into the pit of her stomach. There wasn't a scratch on Cat Noir but he'd managed to do all of this in less than a minute… Perhaps he sensed her fear, as he came to an abrupt stop, fixing her.

"No sense hiding Marinette… You only have five minutes."

"Please don't do this Adrien. I know you're still in there." She pleaded with him. "You can stop him."

Cat Noir paused, he looked at her, blinking steadily. Ladybug hesitated. It was impossible to know what was going through his head. She'd thought that she was getting through to him before only to be proven terrifyingly wrong. As such, she wasn't holding her breath. He fixed her, eyeing her from head to foot. It was unnerving. A shiver ran down her spine. It was almost as if the young man was rediscovering her.

Feeling determination coursing through her veins, she grit her teeth, determined. If there was anything left of the young man inside, she was determined to reach him. He frowned, it was almost as if he was challenging her to back down. Her courage was such that she readied herself, clenching her fists as she straightened herself. She took a deep breath readying herself to whatever was to come. Still, something had shifted, she couldn't say just what it was but there was no denying that his cruelty seemed to have faded away. Then, after what must have been approaching a minute that he finally spoke:

"Just give it up." His voice was softer now, more measured. "You can't beat him."

"Yes we can." She punctuated each word, letting her determination shine through.

"You'll get hurt Marinette." He tells her as if he were informing her that it was raining outside. "He'll tear all of you to shreds and worse."

She fixed him for a few moments, unsure just what to say. Was Adrien really gone? They had no idea of just what had been done to get in him into this state in the first place. Some form of magic. Nathalie seemed to think that he was impossible to reach. Her own experiences seem to point in that direction. Was he a prisoner of his own body or slowly being erased? She looked at him once more, pleading silently. That's when she saw it, for the first time, behind his green eyes, she could make out some pain.

"Him..." She muttered under her breath. "You said " _him_ "."

Cat Noir didn't respond, other than to fix her with a pained look and for the first time, she saw past the outer skin and into who she was currently talking to. She couldn't understand how or why but that wasn't Kahn any longer. For the first time in a week, she found herself looking at Adrien. Adrien who against all odds and expectations had somehow managed to fight his way back to them.


	27. Everything ends

Adrien seemed uneasy on his feet, he looked weak, unsure. Even from where she was standing, Ladybug could pick up on his rapid breathing. It was as if there mere action of being there was requiring every single ounce of strength that he could muster. It was clear that he was suffering.

That wasn't what struck Marinette the most however, it was the sorrow which lay just behind his green orbs. There was a look of desperation there, a silent plea for help. He staggered along so as to be able to rest himself against the shield wall. Already, he seemed to be struggling for breath. The young man closed his eyes. Despite the danger, his friend approached, resting her hand on the other side of the protective barrier. He took little notice of her. This close, she could hear that he was muttering under his breath, words which she couldn't understand.

"Adrien..." She spoke softly to him but failed to get an acknowledgement. "Please. Let us help you..."

"I know you want to..." His voice was broken. "You won't have long."

She waited expectantly. With every passing second, his strength seemed to be leaving him. He was now leaning against the barrier as much for support as for anything else. Marinette didn't know how much longer they had left until it faded. Three minutes, maybe? Not long at any rate. One mistake and they would be dead but on the other hand, she was desperate to cling to however much time they had with their friend. Adrien winced, pressing himself further against the forcefield, it was almost as if he was under attack from some unseen force.

Still, he gritted his teeth, determined to do get just a couple of words out:

"I can't hold him back forever..." The young man muttered breathing quickly. "When this shield drops, you might have a few seconds. The ring. Cataclysm will end it."

"End what?" She asked, her mouth dry all of a sudden.

Cat Noir didn't reply, not with words. His green eyes, rising to meet hers did the talking for him. They will filled with regret. A silent acknowledgement of what now seemed to be inevitable passed behind his orbs. She understood in a flash just what he meant, what he wanted her to do. For all that, she couldn't respond, truly horrified that her friend, the boy whom she loved could possibly ask her to do such a thing.

She shook her head, taking a step away to distance herself from him, from what he was asking her to do.

"No. No. I can't!"

"You've got to… Kahn will kill you or worse." He gripped at his head, shaking it from side to side as he did so. "He's in here Mari… I can see everything that he can do. Everything he wants to do and plans to do… It's driving me mad!"

"There's got to be another way!" She pleaded with him, louder this time.

"There isn't… He's done so much already!" At this point, Adrien appeared to be in physical pain. "Please Mari… I don't want to hurt you."

"We- We could make a wish!"

It was a thought which had only just occurred to her. Wishes could accomplish anything, couldn't they? They could wish their enemy away. He could go back to whatever dark place he'd come from. If Adrien could just hand over his ring then they could use the combined power of the black cat and ladybug miraculouses to end all of this madness once and for all.

Without warning, Adrien lurched backwards, his back arched in an almost unnatural manner. He let out a loud gasp, coupled with another sound which she couldn't quite place, it didn't sound like a noise which a human being could even make. It was closer to metal grinding against metal. He fell down to his knees and there he remained. Horrified, Marinette could only stare. She turned back towards Carapace, the young man was still desperately trying to recover. There was only two minutes left until the shield vanished at any rate. Until then, he couldn't or rather wouldn't lower it.

"A wish?!" The manic tone was gradually creeping back into his voice. "A wish needs balance! You really think you could banish me? I'd just find another host!"

Perhaps it was for the best that the shield was still up. He wasn't moving, only breathing deeply. Again, she could make out some grumbling. Was it even words that he was uttering? When he looked back up, there was that same old madness behind his green eyes, that look which said that he could and would kill them if given half the chance. Kahn was back. In a flash, he was up on his feet and against the forcefield again causing her to jump back, startled.

He lurched backwards suddenly as if someone had grabbed him from behind. This time, the young man let out a sound which was somewhere between a roar and a scream. For the next few seconds, Cat Noir did battle with a force unseen by anyone else. His body convulsed. He gripped at his hair, tugging at it roughly. With Carapace's protection still active, they couldn't reach them. Although Marinette didn't know just what she could possibly do to help him, there was also the knowledge that right now, there was no telling whether it was Adrien or Kahn in control. So as painful as it was to watch, they were forced to keep at a distance.

It seemed like every second was agony for him.

Then, abruptly the yelling stopped. Cat Noir sat up. He seemed to be stunned, a little lost and confused. His green eyes drifted over the room, attempting to work out just where he was. There was no anger there, it was clearly Adrien looking at them. His gaze softened as he struggled to catch his breath. He was physically shaking. The young man shifted slightly so as to sit up. He pulled his legs close to his chest but continued to shiver.

"I-I can't keep him at bay much longer..."

"We've got one minute left!" Carapace warned them.

"Adrien..." Aware that she was running out of time, Marinette still couldn't think clearly. "I can't-"

"It's okay..." He spoke softly to her, as if somehow that would make things easier. "It's got to end Mari."

He sounded so accepting, like this to him was nothing. Maybe it was or at the very least, in his mind it was better than the alternative. For her part however, Ladybug found herself to be physically shaking at the prospect. She knew, of course, that a miraculous could be used to kill someone. Some of them actually had bladed weapons after-all and if the current generation under Master Fu's tutelage had been rather less inclined to get blood on their hands, it didn't mean that they lacked the ability to do so.

Right now, it was very clearly Adrien facing them. He was kneeling down, breathing heavily but seemingly no longer in any pain. If anything, he seemed to be recovering. He smiled softly, reassuringly perhaps. She shook her head, feeling tears threatening to come. How could she kill him or at the very least let him die? No matter what Kahn had done, the young man who's body he occupied was most definitely not a terrible person and didn't deserve to be punished for his wrongdoings.

Slowly, he reached down so as to hold, his ring between his fingers, visibly preparing to take it off. His eyes drifted back up to rest on them.

"You guys ready?" Once more, he seemed to be struggling. "You're going to have a couple of seconds, I'm sorry… I can't hold him back for any longer."

"Dude…" This time it was Nino who spoke. "You can't ask us to-"

"I'm dead anyway..." He looked away, focusing his attention down on the ground. "We can't get rid of Kahn, without destroying whatever body he's in and I don't want to be his prisoner any longer… Think of it as a mercy."

The countdown continued silently. Braced, he took a few deep breaths, fingers resting on his ring, he pulled it past the joint but not entirely off of his hand so that his disguise lingered a little bit longer. She didn't know just what he was planning, presumably he would throw her the ring and trust her to do the rest.

It would be one word. Just one. Then a touch. As Cat Noir, she should be able to catch up to Adrien Agreste easily enough. Then what, she'd make contact? She'd never seen Cataclysm used on a person before for the simple reason that it would almost inevitably kill them. Adrien wasn't a murderer so they'd never seen it done. Would it be quick or drawn out as they were turned to ash and dust? The prospect turned her stomach. She didn't even want to imagine the young man crumbling away.

"I'll make it as easy as I can for you." Adrien continued seemingly oblivious or perhaps choosing to ignore their reservations. "No matter what happens. What I- Kahn says… Just do it. Ready?"

He didn't get a response or nothing more than horrified stares. Perhaps later, Marinette would regret not taking the opportunity to talk to him, to enjoy these last few seconds. That might have hurt him or maybe it didn't. He seemed to just nod understandingly as if somehow this all made sense to him. If the prospect of death was a daunting one, Adrien Agreste wasn't letting it on. He seemed to be comparatively serene in fact.

A deep breath. The shield fell. The end began.

They hadn't been able to come up with a plan, how could they with Kahn so close and able to hear everything they had to say? So it was done mostly on instinct. They would have to immobilize their foe, no matter what happened. Even without his miraculous, it was likely that he would prove to be something of a challenge. So Carapace, flanked by Rena Rouge and Queen Bee rushed ahead. Marinette lingered only a moment, pushing her parents back so that they were clear of what was about to happen. Hopefully they would be able to find some shelter.

Perhaps that was a mistake. As he saw his enemies bearing down upon him, Cat Noir suddenly took his attention off of the ring he had been in the process of removing. There must have been a certain amount of instinct which took control of him. He wasn't about to just sit there and let them take him without a fight. It was all that it took for Kahn to take control once more and he did so with a vengeance.

He seemed to be more shadow than man. He almost glided through the room, darting around and staying out of the way of his enemies. For every step they took, he took two, remaining ever out of reach. His attention soon becomes apparent. They gave chase, growing desperate and the distance between them grew just a little. That was what he was waiting for. As soon as one of them had drifted a little further away from their allies he would attack. It was a quick blow, maybe two but a powerful swipe. His victims struggled to protect themselves. As soon as reinforcements arrived, he would be on the move again.

Carapace, having already used his gift, was weakening quickly under another barrage of attacks from his foe. Cat Noir aimed for the limbs. After the third lunge, he managed to slam his staff into the side of Nino's left ankle. There was a shout as he collapsed to his knees.

Ladybug acted quickly. She launched her yoyo. All she needed was a brief distraction, just enough to give the others the opportunity to rescue Carapace or for him to recover. Cat Noir spotted the incoming attack and raised his staff. Her weapon wrapped itself around it. She tugged, hoping that she might be able to disarm him. He seemed to be ready for it however and she encountered a fair amount of resistance. Her foe smirked before bending using the length of his weapon to his advantage, hauling her off of her feet as she held on to the string and was sent flying through the room.

She hit the wall roughly. The impact was enough to stun her, knocking the air out of her lungs. Queen Bee and Rena Rouge were quick to come to her aid, attacking their enemy who resumed his original tactic of keeping at a distance. Eager to rejoin in the fight, Ladybug struggled to her feet. Something grabbed her forearm. It was Nathalie, in all of the commotion, she'd just about forgotten about her.

"Get his ring and I can end this."

Marinette stared at the woman, wondering just what sort of a rabbit she thought she could pull out of her hat. With adrenaline coursing through her system, she wasn't up to contemplating just how it would be done. Her first assumption was that unlike them, she had it in her to do it. She could use Cataclysm and put an end to the mayhem that Kahn was causing. Gritting her teeth, Ladybug pulled away suddenly freeing herself. She shot the older woman a cold glare, anger taking over just for a moment:

"I won't let you kill him!"

She didn't care to see what the woman's reaction was to her declaration. She was too angry to care just what Nathalie Sancoeur, a woman living up to her name, thought. Right now, she had to stop Kahn before he succeeded in beating Rena Rouge's flute out of her hands. Teeth gritted, the young woman rushed forwards. It didn't matter what she did, so long as he relinquished his target.

It occurred to Ladybug as she desperately attempted to dodge a flurry of furious swipes from Cat Noir that right now, they had no strategy. They were simply struggling to survive. They were reacting as opposed to acting and any notion they might have had of formulating some sort of strategy were quickly forgotten about as they found themselves under assault. She made an attempt to grab Cat Noir's staff, holding it to the best of her ability, in the hopes that it might be enough to provide her allies with an opening.

"Getting tired insect?" Adrien hissed as he pushed down on his weapon, making a move to crush her. "I could do this all day."

She couldn't answer, out of breath. She did all that she could to avoid being ground into the dirt. He was right of course. They were tiring. He had ten years worth of experience. A few trips to the gym from time to time weren't enough to allow them to keep up with him. They needed a plan. Otherwise even with their numerical advantage, they were going to lose. She could see how it would happen. Cat Noir would get lucky. He would catch one of them out and they would be down a member. From there, they would fall like dominoes.

In the corner of her eye, she spotted Queen Bee. The hero was limping slightly but she was still focusing. Though her own arms hurt and instinct demanded that she found some way to escape, for the first time, there seemed to be the beginning of some form of a plan formulating in her mind. She could only hope that her friends and allies were thinking the same as her. For any coordinated attack to work, they would have to be on the same page.

Marinette forced herself to remain concentrated. She couldn't clue him in to the incoming attack. No doubt Queen Bee intended to take him by surprise and strike from behind. As such, Ladybug focused solely on her enemy's eyes. They were, in an odd way, somewhat hypnotic. Looking into them, she felt her heart sink just a little. It was hard to describe what it was like, seeing behind his orbs such hatred and a clear desire to inflict pain. She couldn't lose, not like this. He would kill her without remorse and that was if she was lucky.

"Venom!"

Queen Bee's shout reached Marinette's ears just as she felt that she felt her own strength begin to buckle. She let out an internal sigh of relief. Hoping that they would be about to end it. Then, she caught sight of his smirk. This was exactly what he wanted. Ladybug opened her mouth, ready to scream a warning, to beg her friend to call off her attack before it was too late.

Cat Noir abandoned his original target, actually dropping his staff so as to have both hands free. He dealt his weapon a solid kick as it dropped however sending it flying into her chest. As the other hero approached, he spun around to meet her, side-stepping her as he went. He didn't blink, didn't shy away. That would have cost him and allowed her to make contact. It was specifically by refusing to let his enemy out of his sight that he was able to adjust for her movements, dodging the attack.

He grabbed her wrists but rather than stopping the hero, he spun her round before releasing her. Chloe was sent flying, colliding violently with the approaching Carapace. He crashed to the ground, suddenly heavy. Stunned, Queen Bee struggled to get back up. The turtle hero however remained motionless, frozen or more accurately paralysed from Venom, the top having made contact with him rather than its intended target.

Kahn took the opportunity to breathe. With one enemy incapacitated, he rolled his shoulders, contemplating his enemies for a moment. When he turned round, his attention fell upon Ladybug once more. He smirked but said nothing. Breathing heavily, she did her best to avoid backing down or her fear from showing. She had one chance, one trick up her sleeve:

"Lucky Charm!"

If ever she needed a miracle, this was it. The power of the earrings was unpredictable. She could never tell for sure what it could give her. It gave her what she needed but not what she wanted or asked for. Today, that was a good thing because for the life of her. She had no idea what could possibly bring an end to this.

A rose fell into her hands. She stared at it with disbelief. It had been so long since she had last used her superpower that she had almost forgotten the sensation of finding herself with something that she didn't immediately know what to do with and that at first glance was spectacularly useless in a situation such as this one. She looked around rapidly but didn't see anything which could immediately prove to be useful to her for some sort of plan. Instead, she found herself just fixing the flower, it's symbolism wasn't lost on her but right now, it seemed to be too little.

Laughter echoed through the chamber. It was Cat Noir. Her Lucky Charm seemed to have tickled his sense of humour, such as it was. She knew that it was going to be cruel and mocking. With one enemy paralysed and the others struggling to recuperate and keep up, he could afford in his mind to be cocky and take things a little easier:

"So it comes down to "love"-" He practically spat out the word. "-again does it? Seems like we're tied together Bugaboo."

She didn't dignify his comment with a response. Clenching her teeth, she tried her best to think of a way out of this. She wasn't entirely stupid, much like Kahn, she knew just what the rose symbolized. Cat Noir had always seemed terribly eager to present her with one, back in the days when they were teenagers and he was doing his utmost to impress "his lady". The flower meant love but moreover it was the bond between the two of them. A bond she would once have called unbreakable. Now, she's left with a monster in the body of the young man she once loved.

Her heart raced as she assumed that he had set his sights on her once more. Instead however, his attention turned elsewhere. He was standing near to Carapace, a very frozen Carapace. He made a move towards the young hero. Queen Bee seemed to have caught on to what was going on. She was quick to move in between the villain and her incapacitated ally. Cat Noir just grinned contemptuously, the challenge wasn't up to his standards it would seem.

She could, hopefully, buy them a few more seconds. Ladybug searched for Rena Rouge. At some point, she had taken a powerful blow to the chest. At the moment, she was struggling to do so much as even stand. A sinking sensation began to take over her. There was a voice in the back of her head which told her that they couldn't win. Not with half their number already more or less crippled. Queen Bee had used her power and a rose wasn't going to achieve much. Already, she could see that Chloe was struggling, trying to dodge another and another incoming attack.

Her gaze fell upon the rose in her hands. How could she possibly bring her friend back when he was like this?

Chloe fell. She couldn't keep up with the flurry and ended up tripping over the still motionless Carapace. Cat Noir raised his staff. His intention was clear, end things with a single, well-placed blow. It was Ladybug's yoyo which shot out, wrapping itself once more around the staff. This time, when he attempted to yank her off of her feet, she braced herself and put up some resistance. So he charged her. He rammed his staff into her throat, pushing her backwards until her back collided with the wall behind her.

"Marinette!" She heard her mother cry.

She couldn't breathe, no doubt that was the intention. Teeth clenched, Kahn pressed down all the harder. She placed both hands on either side of the staff, trying her best to push it back, if only to allow herself to breathe. Her attempts were thwarted violently when her opponent drove his knee into her stomach. She couldn't even gasp with pain. Instead, she felt her legs buckle but the staff pressed against her throat prevented her from falling.

Her vision was beginning to fail when suddenly she was released. She couldn't quite comprehend what happened, unable to pull herself together. She heard the scream however, a cry of pain from Alya. They were falling, failing. Gritting her teeth, the girl struggled to pull herself together. She had to get up, to help the others. Her arms were trembling, she could scarcely even pick herself up off of the ground. Where was Kahn? She could see Alya lying nearby, stunned. Carapace was still frozen. What about Queen Bee? She couldn't see her either.

A solid whack to her back with his staff sent her crashing back down to the ground. She couldn't rise again. Her arms and legs plainly wouldn't obey her commands. Her vision could only just flick around, trying to make sense of the world.

After a moment, she spotted the man's feet. Cat Noir was staring down at her pitilessly. There was no madness, no sick enjoyment of what was happening. He crouched down in front of her. With the last of her strength, groaning with pain, she managed to look up at him. She opened her mouth, desperate to croak out one last appeal to the young man that she loves. The words struggle to come but then, eventually, a few syllables manage to sleep out:

"P-Please Adrien… I know you're still in there."

He was their last hope. They needed him back. Not for long, a few seconds. Enough for him to remove his ring and for them to recover. She felt his breath against the back of her neck and closed her eyes. If he got his hand on her miraculous that would be it. He might not know how to use them, how to make a wish, it wouldn't matter. With two miraculous on his side, they wouldn't be able to stop him. They could seldom stand up to him as they were.

She wrapped his arms around hers and pulled her up so that she rested on his lap. Marinette tensed up, her eyes screwed shut, instinctively fearing the worst. Her body was aching and her strength had vanished, leaving her helpless. Even if one of the others came to her rescue, she wouldn't be able to act. In short, she was out of the race. As his hold on her shifted slightly, she expected him to either pluck the earrings off or snap her neck, either one. The pain in her body was such that she couldn't even react or resist. Lying there, she found herself drifting in and out of consciousness for a few seconds.

There was a certain gentleness to his embrace however. Looking up through dull eyes, it felt as if she was faced with Adrien once more or was it just her mind playing games with her? He fixed her with a tired and pained look, clearly spent. She felt him toy with her hand, slipping something into her hand.

"Time to end it Mari..." His voice was little more than a whisper.

"Marinette!"

It was a voice she'd never thought that she would hear again. Somehow, it managed to reach her ears, pulling her out of her semi-conscious state and back into the real world. Just as Adrien's face changed and the madness returned.

It was Plagg, calling out to her. She had just enough presence of mind to roll out of the way, scrambling on all fours. Adrien seemed to be convulsing, a silent battle raging within him. His appearance had changed, he was clearly just well… Adrien now but it was Kahn in control. Ordinarily, she would have fancied their chances but right now they were already spent. Carapace was frozen and the rest of them had taken such a beating in only a few minutes that they were struggling to pull themselves together for what would likely be the endgame.

"You've got to do it." Plagg was by her ear, looking towards his former master fearfully. "Make a wish."

"I- I don't know how-!" She spluttered out looking at the ring in her hand.

It was Gabriel who had used the power before. He'd brought back his wife with it. It was an ancient right with required the book (which she didn't have with her) and a certain amount of knowledge. She had neither and found herself lost. Could it be as simple as just slipping the ring on, powering it up and then just making a wish? Even then, what would happen? If Adrien was right then all that would happen was that Kahn would be transferred into another host. There was no telling who that would be. She loved Adrien, if she made the wish could someone else end up being afflicted? Her parents, maybe Luka?

"Marinette watch out!" It was her mother calling to her this time.

She was screaming with desperation and fear. The young woman had just enough time to look up and see just what the threat was. Adrien was charging towards her, a knife in his hand. She didn't know where he'd gotten it from. He must, she reasoned, have been wearing it when he first transformed. Not that it mattered much now. He was going to be upon her in a few seconds. She raised her hands instinctively, readying herself as best as she could. She could see the madness in his green eyes, it screamed murder.

Just as Adrien reached her, something else collided with him. Marinette didn't know what was going on. They were rolling on the floor. There were three of them. She could hear Kahn's screams of rage and someone else cried out in pain. She felt a couple of blows herself but was mostly shielded. Then eventually, they came to a stop. It took Ladybug a moment to realize that it was Nathalie, the woman protected her in her embrace for a moment before their enemy finally freed himself. He pulled back, rage unmistakable but this time mostly directed at the assistant:

"I've had enough of you!"

A powerful kick from the woman was enough to knock him back as he approached, blade raised.

He landed not all that far away. It was hard to believe that the assistant was all that strong. Perhaps he'd grown accustom to his own strength as Cat Noir and suddenly finding himself without the protection of the miraculous. Either that or finally, he was tiring. Whatever the case, Queen Bee was waiting. She approached cautiously. As soon as they grew closer, Adrien's attention turned to him. This time, he was clearly on the defensive. He took swipes only to keep her at a distance. With her own powers now on a timer, it wouldn't be long until she was a civilian and then, once more, he would have an advantage.

Marinette grit her teeth. Nearby, Alya was also pulling herself together, readying herself. She glanced back towards Adrien and then back to the ring in her hand. Beneath her, she felt the woman shift, letting out an audible groan of pain. She lay on her back, breathing heavily, clearly in a considerable amount of pain. Her strength had left her. Ladybug got up, quickly allowing her the opportunity to breathe. Nathalie doubled over, her hand reaching down for the lower part of her abdomen.

Kahn was insane, roaring with fury as he struggled to keep his enemies away from him.

"I-I might have a plan." She breathed into Nathalie's ear.

With only a couple of moments left, Chloe had opted to trying to keep at a distance. At the same time, in the back of her mind was Nino, still paralysed. Should Adrien suddenly decide to go after him for whatever reason, he would be helpless. Tom and Sabine watched from afar. Clearly torn. Their first encounter with Cat Noir had seemingly been enough to convince them that challenging him wasn't the best decision.

Seemingly benefiting from a sudden second-wind, Ladybug flung herself back into fight. She seemed more willing to take some risks, likely trying to spare her friends what would most definitely prove to be painful, potentially fatal injuries if the blade made contact with them. Queen Bee fell back, her own transformation had only a few moments left. Adrien adopted more of a fighting stance, gripping the blade tightly. From time to time, he would threaten her with a false lunge. She would back away, carefully keeping out of the way. All that could be found behind his green eyes was rage, his teeth were bared into an ugly snarl:

"What is it Kahn?" Ladybug taunted with a confident smirk as they circled. "Not as easy as you thought it would be."

"When I'm done with you, you'll wish that you were able to beg for death!"

He abandoned all caution charging into Ladybug. She attempted to move backwards, even raising her hands to defend herself. Her parents cried out. Kahn smirked excitedly. Savouring what was to come.

Yet the blade didn't make contact with flesh and blood. Instead, it passed through what seemed to be mist and Ladybug dissipated. Adrien found himself frozen, perplexed and alone in the room. His eyes darted round, looking for the source of this trickery. It was a green flash which drew her attention to the corner of the room. The Cat miraculous had been used, transforming Nathalie. The woman was lying on her stomach was in the process of putting on the earrings of the Ladybug miraculous. Next to her, Marinette looked on fearful, realizing that their last distraction had failed.

"What?!"

He let out a roar the likes of which Marinette had never heard before. The next thing that she knew, the man was charging towards them. They only needed a few seconds, the Nathalie Cat Noir only needed to say two words to power up the Ladybug Miraculous. On the other hand, it might not take that long for him to reach them. There was a flash next to her and woman transformed for the second time. It was only a few instants of distraction, but by the time that she looked back Adrien was almost upon them.

It was a split second decision.

Marinette got to her feet and charged forwards. She would meet him. It would buy them a few extra seconds. She was vaguely aware that others were calling out with alarm, telling her not to. The world around her seemed to fade. Instead, she only had eyes for her enemy. Adrien's gaze flicked to meet her. It was fury which took hold of him and she saw that his target was no longer Nathalie, the woman who was about to end his schemes. Instead, perhaps sensing that the game was up but keen to take someone down with him, it was towards the younger that he lunged, murder behind his eyes.

There was a sudden bright flash and they collided.

Her entire body ached. She was lying on her side, eyes closed. It took her a few moments to manage to gather her thoughts together. Just in front of her was a mop of golden blonde hair. Adrien… Summoning what little strength she had left to give, she pushed herself up. Dazed from the impact and struggling to get a feel for herself. For the time being however, that didn't seem to matter. The young man next to her appeared to be asleep.

Could he be unconscious? At this point, she couldn't even tell if he was wasn't too sure how to check or rather, remained apprehensive about doing so. One wrong move and he could catch her by surprise. He'd kill her. It would be effortless. Fear left her paralysed. For a short while, time just seemed to stand still. All that Marinette could hear was her heart thundering in her chest. Then, without warning. He gasped, filling his lungs with oxygen. It caused her to jump back, self-preservation instinct taking over. She didn't know if he was awakening as Adrien or Kahn. They had been fooled before.

The young man looked around, clearly confused. It took a few moments before his gaze found her. There, she found a familiar softness. The rage and madness had vanished. As lost as he was, it was clearly somebody else.

"Adrien..." She breathed out softly.

"Mari! Mari!"

It was pure and unbridled relief. All of his restraint, that emotional control that he'd struggled to build and maintain during his time in the mountains vanished. It was replaced instead with an almost childish sense of joy and relief. She wasn't too sure if he rushed over to her or she too him but within a few seconds she found herself in his arms. Adrien pulled her in close, seemingly fearful that she was now the only thing keeping him here and most certainly unable to express his recognition.

She closed her eyes, listening to his heartbeat. Everything seemed to hit her at once. The pain from the blows inflicted. The terror from everything that had happened. The hours of sleep lost. It all hit her. In those few instants, she floated somewhere between consciousness and drifting off. The exhaustion was something the likes of which she had never before experienced.

It was over. They were safe…

She sensed that Adrien had tensed up abruptly. Somewhat fearful, she found herself opening her eyes. Glancing up at him. There was a look of horror on his face which instantly sent shivers down her spine. After a few moments, she lowered her own gaze, despite her own anxiousness, to see just what had caused him to fix her in such a manner. Her heart sank as soon as she spotted it.

Blood. There was blood on her shirt.


	28. To Love and lose

For a few moments, it didn't quite register.

She just looked at the stain on her clothes blankly. It could have been some spilt tomato sauce for all that she could find her in itself to react. Slowly however, there was a mounting sense of terror which settled in. It started with some trembling. An instinctive dread. Panic took over both for her and those around her. She wasn't too sure just what was going on. Instinct however caused the blood to drain from her arms and legs, leaving her faint.

Adrien was quick to take her in his arms. Fretting instinctively. She felt lost confused but desperately felt that she needed to check her wound. She pulled up her shirt but found no immediate puncture mark or cut which might potentially be the source of the fluid. She she began feeling behind, convinced that somehow he must have managed to get her in the back. Yet her fingers encountered no wet. It was a simple enough realization to allow her to come to somewhat.

Less startled, she was able to feel around. Eyes open, she came to a startling if somewhat relieving conclusion:

"It-It isn't mine."

It wasn't. There was no blood there or rather no wound. She couldn't however deny the fact that there was some on her shirt, albeit perhaps not as much as she had originally feared. It was located mostly around her side. There was some on Adrien as well but only a few splatters, much of which was on his hand. He fixed it, turning a little paler. It was only then that he thought to glance down towards the blade which had been discarded without a second thought next to him.

There was blood on the blade. Enough of it to indicate that it had been driven in deep or at the very least nicked something important. Nearby, some of the others approached nervously. Adrien couldn't take his eyes off of the knife. He frowned, brow creased. Clearly the young man was troubled. For her part, Marinette glanced over her shoulder. All of her friends and her parents, whilst a little the worse for wear were all present and accounted for.

Still, something wasn't right. That much became clear. The colour drained suddenly from his face.

"No..." He turned to look behind him, to something or rather someone else. "Nathalie!"

Adrien's panicked scream echoed throughout the room.

Despite everything, the young man scrambled to his feet. His head was spinning but the one thing which remained crystal clear was the figure of the woman lying motionless on the floor. Everything and everyone else seemed to fade into unimportance. She'd changed back to her civilian self but lay motionless a few yards away, resting on her side. She didn't respond to his call.

Adrien reached her a few moments later. Astonishingly, she was still conscious. Her eyes drifted up to meet him but asides from that, she showed few signs of responding. Carefully, he took the woman in his arms. She said nothing, only grimacing briefly with pain. Her left hand was resting around her lower abdomen. Stubbornly however, she refused to remove it, keeping it there. Despite the young man's insistence:

"Let me see!"

His heart sank as his eyes met those of the woman. There was pain behind her blue orbs, a reluctance to carry out his request. It was one of the first times he'd seen her hesitate in such a way, to contemplate disobeying him. It was a tearful regret, as if removing her hands would somehow break a magic spell and make everything all the more real. An understanding passed between the two of them, silently, without the need for words. Bitterly, Adrien forced himself to watch as her left hand shielding her stomach slowly slipped away. He knew before she even followed his instruction what he would find. The lower part of her abdomen continued to rise and fall irregularly as she struggled with her breaths. It took a few seconds however for his gaze to find a dark patch, it was barely even visible against her purple suit. All he could do was stare at it, watch it grow steadily soaking the fabric and running down her side. Hand shaking, she turned her palm round so that he could see for himself the dark crimson staining her flesh and that there could be no room for misconceptions about just what the liquid was. The wound, whilst covered for the most part, was deep even without a proper examination, the young man could tell that much. It felt as if it was possible to see with each of her heartbeats pumping more blood which only flowed out uselessly, unable to fill the hole which had been left. He could feel it beginning to drip down onto the floor, forming a puddle in the dust.

His mouth ran dry as he felt his stomach turn. No doctor or medical expertise was required. What felt like a chisel was abruptly rammed into his heart, prying it apart and threatening to split it right through the centre. Turning away was what his instincts demanded that he did. As if the mere fact that his eyes were no longer resting on the injury would somehow wipe it from existence. Instead, his eyes met those of the woman in his arms once more. The suffering was apparent as was the shared unspoken knowledge of what was to come. An inevitable fact which Adrien, in those few moments found himself desperate to fight back against.

Dread began to take hold causing him to physically shake. With a deep breath, he managed to recover some presence of mind, enough at any rate to realize that he would have to do something. First on the list was of course to try and slow the bleeding. With no medical supplies around, he found himself with only a few choices. He reached out, desperate to apply some pressure to the wound. The action earned a pained groan as Nathalie tensed up. He tried to ignore the unpleasant sensation of the warm and sticky liquid against his hand. The woman's breathing hitched for a few seconds before returning to its previous strained rhythm. Despite his efforts, he could feel ever more blood leaking out. Cursing under his breath, his mind kicked into overdrive, trying to both find a solution and distract himself from the reality of the current situation:

"Someone, please, call an ambulance!" He turned back to the others yelling at the top of his lungs before facing the assistant once more. He spoke more softly to her, trying to sound as calm as possible. "It's okay... I've got you."

"Nice to have you back..."

His eyes widened, startled to hear her voice. It was weak, trembling as she struggled to speak. Each syllable she uttered robbing her of another breath. As he looked into her eyes, whilst they might have been duller than usual, he saw that she was fully aware.

Adrien felt his heart sink just that little bit more. Whilst he was glad to be able to interact with the woman, it also meant that she was fully aware of what had happened. He knew that she wasn't an idiot. Much like him, he must have known that it was a bad wound. Still, she appeared to be perfectly calm. He couldn't take his eyes off of the woman. He could see what had happened in his mind's eye. She'd saved Marinette, shielding her from Kahn's blow. He hadn't cared… Well, he had a little bit but only in his own perverse way.

Now… He didn't want to even think about it.

With a trembling hand, she reached out, handing something to him. His eyes widened, realizing just what it was. His ring, well, Cat Noir's and the Ladybug earrings. She offered them back to him, pleading silently for him to take them. If he did, it was only so that Plagg would rematerialize next to him. He could do with the support and so that she no longer felt obliged to strain herself. As soon as she was finished, she tensed up, groaning with pain. Terrified, Adrien looked up and away from the woman towards the others still present. A feeling of terror the likes of which he couldn't describe had come over him.

"Pl-Please..."

They nodded. Already, he could see Marinette frantically keying into her phone. It was then that suddenly, seemingly without any rhyme or reason, Nathalie started to stir a little more urgently.

He reached out, keen to ensure that she didn't somehow manage to harm herself through moving around. Upon looking down at her however, rather than find her frantic as he had anticipated, he found himself realizing that she was, in fact, remarkably calm. The woman looked up to him, even offering him a slight smile, her lips trembled slightly as she did so. Breathing heavily, her eyelids fluttered. She was fighting to remain awake, that much was clear. He wanted to tell her that everything was going to be alright, that it wasn't serious.

"It's okay." She managed to get out with some effort. "No need to worry..."

"We'll get you some help." Adrien promised her, trying to sound as convincing as possible.

"No…" The woman let the word out in a sigh.

The young man frowned, not understanding. He put it down to confusion. Already, he could tell that she had lost a fair amount of blood. That must have been having some sort of an affect on her ability to process the world around her, he reasoned. That and she'd spend the past few days being bashed around more or less severely. He told himself that she was confused, didn't know what she was saying. Of course she wanted and needed help. The doctors and nurses would be able to stitch her up, dress her wound and take away the pain. All they needed was to get here.

"Adrien…" It was Plagg who spoke, floating near to him, his voice disconcertingly slow. "The wish..."

It was like a slap in the face to him. He hadn't thought about just how Kahn had come out of his body, being too preoccupied and elated by his freedom, he hadn't given any thought as to just how that had happened. He contemplated the jewels in his hand. It was Nathalie who had given them to him having already used them. A wish was a terrible thing. It was the one thing that Master Fu had always forbidden him from even contemplating, if only because it was so impossibly unpredictable. There was always a consequence, the universe had to maintain balance but beyond that? It was a risky choice and one he had been discouraged from ever taking a chance with.

A terrible sinking feeling settled in the pit of his stomach. He looked down at the woman in his arms, remembering that she was the one to save him.

"Nathalie." She seemed to have drifted off, so he shook her gently, bringing her to once more. "Nathalie what did you wish for?"

"For you to be free." She managed, her gaze softening as she fixed him.

"-But Kahn..." Adrien began, trembling slightly.

"Transfer him to somebody whom he couldn't possible use..."

She smiled sadly, silently acknowledging what had been done. Adrien could only stare at her, realizing just what the implications were. The woman tensed up abruptly, taking him by surprise. Her breath hitched. Instinctively, she clung to him. Her eyes were wide with fright or pain, he couldn't have said which it was. Instinctively, he held the woman a little closer to himself, hoping that somehow the proximity would be enough to provide at least a modicum of comfort. He didn't know if she would appreciate it given that she wasn't very comfortable with physical contact. She didn't seem to object however, resting her head against him.

Adrien turned towards the others. He didn't know what to do, what could be done or said to fix this. A wish would do it but then they'd be back to square one… He could feel the miraculous that Nathalie had given him in the palm of his hand. Maybe, if he wished for what had been done to her, to be done to himself that would surely transfer not only the wound but the monster. Nathalie Sancoeur would be safe… His friends watched in pained silence. At this point, he didn't know if help was on its way or if they'd given that much up.

"Oh… The murderer becomes the murdered, how ironic."

He recognized the words despite the fact that they were coming out of Nathalie's voice. The young man stared down at her with horror. Her eyes were different. They were the same shade of blue, with bags underneath, highlighting just how much these past few days had cost her. There was a malice behind them which he hadn't seen before. It he was safe, it was only because the woman's body was as badly damaged as it was. Still, there was something taunting behind her orbs, it seemed to be taking a particular pleasure in this.

Rage coursed through Adrien's veins. It took all of his self-control not to instinctively lash out. Unfortunately, his enemy was buried deep within the skin of a woman he cared for. To strike at them would be to harm her. All he could do was take out his rage audibly:

"Let her go!"

For a moment, Nathalie just smirked. It was as if she was saying: "What are you going to do about it?".

Then, suddenly, she tensed up and let out a gasp of pain. Adrien held her a bit closer, knowing what was going on inside of her mind. A silent battle was raging. Kahn was a ferocious adversary. Nathalie however was able to fight her way through it. She came out exhausted on the other side of it, breathing heavily. The woman leaned over, pressing part of her face against his chest trying to block out the world. He could do nothing for her other than hold his hand against the wound, slowing the blood flow to the best of his ability.

"You need to let me die."

He didn't want to hear those words. Instead, he closed his eyes, desperately trying to either forget what was going on or wake himself up from whatever nightmare this was. No matter what though, he couldn't quite ignore the weight in his arms or the warmth of her shaking and unsteady breaths against him.

They forced him to open his eyes and look back down at the woman in his arms. She seemed relaxed, accepting of her fate. She must have known, he realized. From the moment that she'd accepted the jewels and made her wish. He didn't know if she'd always intended to use herself as Kahn's new vessel or if her injuries had made the decision somehow seem obvious and easier. He didn't care to ask Right now, that didn't matter all that much. She looked up at him with a tender understanding, almost as if she could read his mind. He gave her a watery smile, one which failed to hide his pain:

"You saved me. Saved all of us..." Facts that she was no doubt aware of but that he felt compelled to inform her of none-the-less.

"'you think I might qualify me for a bonus?"

He couldn't quite recall the last time that he'd heard her crack a joke and to the best of his knowledge she'd never before asked for a raise either. Her comment earned a snort of amusement despite the dire situation. If anyone on the planet deserved both a raise and a vacation, it was Nathalie Sancoeur. There was so much that he found himself wanting to say to her, to let her know but for the life of him, he couldn't think of how to say it. So instead he just held her close, silently praying for some manner of a miracle, anything that would allow him to save the woman whom he knew he was going to lose.

She coughed a few times, a terrible melody that he hadn't heard since the time of Mayura. These were weaker. It was the sort of noise which seemed to indicate that her lungs were struggling. Every second, the woman was growing weaker, still, she found it in herself to speak:

"Thank you... For giving me another chance."

"I- You..." Adrien shook his head, unable to pull himself together enough to speak.

"You're making this hard..."

He didn't respond. The pain in his throat made it difficult to speak. At this point, he didn't even attempt to conceal the tears behind his eyes, unable to hold them back. They fell down his cheeks as a few sobs escaped despite himself. Plagg settled next to him, trying as best as he could to comfort his human partner. Adrien couldn't express his gratitude. All he knew was that Nathalie was dying and that some part of that was his fault.

Something warm stroked the side of his cheek, banishing the few tears. He looked down, somewhat surprised. It wasn't just that she still possessed the strength for such things but also that she was doing them in the first place. Never before could he recall her showing him such gentle tenderness. It was a mark of affection that had always seemed to be a bit beneath her. He'd longed for some from her. Just a little touch or a hug, even a word or two would have been nice. She smiled sadly looking up at him but managed to summon the will to try and reassure him:

"It's okay..." The soft way that she spoke made everything change. Adrien shifted from the one providing comfort to the one being comforted. "This is- okay."

It was with the gentlest of touches that she eased his hand away from the wound. He resisted for a few seconds, aware that his strength was greater than hers. He could have stopped her, made sure that he continued to stem the blood flow. Allowed her to live just that little bit longer. Draw out her unseen torment by extension. She pleaded silently with him, letting him know that this was what she wanted, perhaps needed. Shaking, he allowed his hand to slip away. Nathalie let out a soft sigh, closing her eyes for a moment.

"He's very loud..." The woman muttered weakly to the best of her ability, before her dull gaze turned to fix him. "Adrien, I'd rather be- Nathalie Sancoeur, than that monster."

"It alright." His voice was a bit firmer now. "I understand."

For the time being, he resolved to focus on other matters. Nathalie was fading away slowly but surely. The blood which was flowing far faster now that he was no longer making any attempt to slow it. He didn't know how much longer that would give her. She seemed relaxed however. There was no accounting for the battle which was going on in her mind though. He knew what it was like, how Kahn would rip and tear at her psyche until she gave in and he was able to wrestle the controls from her. After that, she would be little more than a spectator.

Even now, so close to the end, it was clear that something inside wasn't quite right. Kahn was knocking, desperate to find a way out. She was alternating between periods of evidently being awake and others where for a few moments, he thought that she might actually be drifting off. When her eyes were open however, her gaze found fall upon him, almost as if to assure that he was still there with her.

The others were pulling themselves together slowly but surely. They would need a good few days before they could recover. That didn't seem to matter however. Whilst they might have chosen to remain at a distance, all knew what was going to happen. From time to time, a few quiet words were exchanged. Adrien laughed, it mixed itself with a tearful sob but there could be no denying the amusement just what could have been said to him to earn such a response at a time like this remained to be seen:

"I am..." Was what he whispered as a reply.

"It wouldn't be so bad…" She was forced to pause, panting for breath. "If I didn't have someone to miss."

She stopped suddenly, closing her eyes. Adrien wasn't enough of a doctor to know if the fact that her breathing was growing faster was a sign of the end coming or if it was a result of the unseen battle raging within her. He held her loosely but took the opportunity to turn to Plagg. The kwami said nothing but gave him a look which he understood. He battled against the urge to sob, to beg her to stay with him and continue on fighting. Even if he had wanted to speak, he doubted that any words would have come.

The woman gasped abruptly. She raised her hand to her head, pressing her palm against her temple. The attack seemed to last for a few seconds, throughout which her breathing became laboured. When it was over, she returned to a state of apparent weakness. A single tear trickled down the side of her face.

"Adrien..." Came the woman's weak and trembling voice.

He wasted no time, instantly realizing what she meant, what she wanted. Nodding slowly, he held the assistant a little bit closer. Turning towards Plagg, he received a tip of the head both to comfort him and also to let him know that he wasn't alone. He spoke the words needed to transform himself, ensuring that he didn't let her go. It gave him some strength, physical if nothing else.

He got to his feet. At this point, Nathalie was almost entirely limp in his arms. He took care to support her neck, cradling her head. She weighed almost nothing or seemed to at the very least. He turned around to face the others. They all stared at him. Did they know what was coming? He didn't pause to question them focusing solely on the task at hand. He wanted to do it properly but found himself facing a slight obstacle. As much as he might not want to involve his friends or any of the other spectators, he found himself without any other option. So he tried his best to remain as composed as possible:

"C-Could you hit that control over there please?"

He didn't particularly care who did it, so long as someone helped him. It was Rena Rouge, somewhat confused and uncertain about just what he was trying to do. After a few seconds, she saw what he was referring to and made her way over to a control panel. In the past, Gabriel had been able to use a remote. That had since been lost so they found themselves left only with a few switches up against the wall. After a few attempts however, Alya succeeded. There was a creak as a part of the wall appeared to open, revealing a window. A moment or so later, the window opened fully to reveal the city of Paris.

The sun was just starting to come up, marking the beginning of a new day.

Moving slowly, Adrien carried her over towards the window. The air was somewhat chilly and it was clear that there was a fine dusting of snow covering the city. It caught pleasantly in the orange light, casting a strange glow. Kneeling down, he allowed the woman to rest once more. Her gaze rested on the city for a few moments. He wondered if she could appreciate the beauty of the scene or if she was just slipping further away.

The woman's hand reached out to touch his. It started him slightly. He looked down to see her. She offered him a gentle if slightly watery smile. It was a comfort which he couldn't quite explain or express. He was trembling as he held her but the way that she looked at him seemed to say that everything was alright. He wished that he could believe her. Behind her eyes, every now and then, there was a familiar flicker. Just a little bit of insanity slipping in, threatening to take over. He realized that she wouldn't have long. A minute or so, maybe less.

Adrien held her close to him, so that her head rested against his chest. He wondered if she could hear just how loudly his heart was pounding. Taking a deep breath, he readied himself. He found himself glancing towards the others, only briefly. They kept a respectful distance. He could see the pain behind their eyes. At this point, they must have known that Nathalie was in trouble, probably that she was going to die. Whether or not they knew the entirety of it, he couldn't have said. So he looked away from them, gradually building up the courage that was required. There was so much which he wanted to say in those few moments and yet none of it would come out.

He closed his eyes, feeling a few tears begin to trickle down his cheeks. This time, Nathalie lacked both the strength and the ability to wipe them away. Both were spent fighting back both the inevitable and keeping Kahn in check. That left him alone, with only one word that still needed to be said:

"Cataclysm."

He felt the woman shudder in his arms. She gasped, tensing up abruptly. The young man held her just that little bit closer. He felt her breathe out a sigh as the darkness and destruction spread. He didn't know if it hurt. He reasoned it must have. It was quick though. In the space of a few seconds, it covered her. He didn't want to see just what it did to her. He judged that much to be too obvious and inevitably painful. Instead, he concentrated on providing her with comfort and a sense that she wasn't alone in her last few instants.

Then, it was as if she simply dissolved. The resistance and weight of her body vanished. He opened his eyes to see her become dust. She slipped through his fingers, vanishing as a wind carried the dust and ash away, out of the window and over the city which was just beginning to awaken.

On his knees, Adrien looked at just where she had once been. He continued to keep his arms in the same position as if she was still there. He blinked a few times, as if he couldn't quite process what had happened. What he'd lost. For a few moments, he was just staring. His mind was strangely blank. A part of him knew what he'd done but it refused to admit as much. Nathalie was gone. She'd taken Kahn with her. It was over. He'd killed both of them. That single thought went round and round in his head, inescapable.

Behind him, the others could only stare. Marinette had witnessed all of it. She hadn't dared to intervene, as surprised and horrified as she had been to see the woman turn to dust… That would be something that she would reflect upon later, with a clear head. Right now… She only had eyes for Cat Noir. She felt some pain for the woman that had been lost. Nathalie Sancoeur had been many things, an enemy and a friend, kind and harsh… They owed her a great debt. The young woman suspected that she had even saved her life… None of that seemed to matter right now so much as the fact that she was gone.

The sound of a sob cut through the silence. She took a step forwards towards Cat Noir. Tears marked his features as he changed back to Adrien Agreste, staring out over the city. Her hand on his shoulder barely even seemed to register as he through his head back and let out a wail of anguish for what had been lost.


	29. Remains

There was a knock on the door to Marinette's room. She looked up slowly, scarcely aware of her own surroundings.

It was impossible to describe just how exhausted she was. It felt as if every last ounce of strength that she had to give had been leached away and stolen from her. For all that, she couldn't sleep. The events of the previous night replayed themselves in her mind. She saw Kahn and the madness behind his eyes, her friends falling one by one, the blood on Nathalie... The sounds of her desperate last breaths still echoed through her ears, no matter how much she tried to banish them. The worst though had been Adrien's terrible wail: a cry as he realized just what had happened, what he'd lost. No matter what she tried, she couldn't forget about his agony.

She'd spent most of day in her bed. It wasn't just the emotional damage. Her body was black and blue from the beating that Kahn had subjected her to the night before. He'd been brutal. Her parents paid her a visit from time to time so as to tend to her. They would offer her some food but she found herself to not be particularly hungry. The painkillers and gentle hugs however, she was somewhat more partial to.

She was expecting to see them come through the door. Instead, she found herself faced with a familiar set of blue eyes and dyed hair. She was too surprised to speak. Simply gawking at the young man as if he had beamed himself in from planet Mars. He smiled softly upon seeing her, approaching slowly so as not to startle her and giving her ample time to tell him to be on his way if she didn't feel like company.

"Hey there..." He spoke softly to her as if fearing that raising his voice beyond a few decibels risked harming her.

"Hi..."

She wanted to smile, to ask him how he was… Instead, she just felt too tired. He must have taken her words as permission to come in. She didn't object. It allowed her to see that the young man was limping. His left leg apparently wasn't quite playing game. The next thing that she noticed was the bandages covering his arms and legs and even, just visible around his chest. There were a couple of his cheek which reminded her of the wounds that she'd seen inflicted upon Nathalie. All Kahn's handiwork of course. Covering he few meters seemed to have cost her friend quite badly, as he was out of breath.

She gestured for him to sit down. He smiled gratefully and accepted. His grimaces confirmed that he was still in a reasonable amount of pain. She was honestly surprised that he had gotten out as quickly as he apparently had.

"Are you alright?" She asked, concerned.

"Yeah..." He grinned in an attempt to be reassuring. "You know they gave me shots? They were convinced I'd been mauled by an animal. What about you?"

She shrugged. It was impossible for her to express just what she was feeling. If nothing else, she wasn't entirely sure if he was talking about physically or emotionally. A shrug probably defined it the best. She was still in some pain. Internally, she didn't know quite what to make of the current situation. There was of course the pain of what had happened to Nathalie. Then her parents learning the secret that she had kept for so many years. They hadn't brought it up yet and for that she was eternally grateful. Everything that had happened seemed both agonizingly close and almost dreamlike, as if it had never happened.

Luka didn't push her. The silence or lack of a direct response were enough for him. There was a lot on her chest and she wanted a good deal of it off, it had to be said. A part of her was inclined to talk. It's what she usually did. Tikki was nearby. The kwami was usually a source of immeasurable comfort at a time like this. She'd been markedly quiet. Whilst Marinette reasoned that the creature must have seen a fair amount of death in her lifetime, she couldn't imagine that it was something that it was ever entirely possible to get used to. That and she seemed plain old exhausted, a side-effect of having made a wish. She was astonished that Plagg had had it in him to both transform Adrien and then use cataclysm.

She wondered just how much her on and off boyfriend knew. She reasoned that he must have been aware of some of what had happened. At some point, someone somewhere would have told him surely. Even if they hadn't, he must have been able to guess that it wasn't good news. That a life had been lost. He himself had foretold as much.

Before she could ponder the matter any further, the young man handed her a familiar old bag. She knew what it was. He must have gotten it back from Ivan and Mylene only a few hours ago. She was grateful but for a few moments struggled to articulate that very simple fact. The miraculouses and book were safe. It was more than any of them could have hope for yesterday. Adrien Agreste was back with them. Kahn was gone. So was Nathalie…

"Thank you..." She muttered eventually, feeling the same inescapable exhaustion.

"You're welcome..." He responded softly, hesitating a moment before asking. "How's Adrien?"

Again, Marinette was a little bit unsure about just where to begin on that one.

He'd broken down. Whether it had been Nathalie's death or that had just been the catalyst they couldn't exactly said. Plagg had stayed with him. They weren't entirely sure just what damage Kahn had done to his mind or if the young man could even remember just what he'd done. She reasoned that he must have been given that from time to time, the real Adrien had been able to break through. In a strange way, that wasn't comforting. If anything, it opened an entirely new can of worms that she didn't even want to contemplate.

She'd spent half an hour trying to bring him out of whatever he'd slipped into. He's been almost unresponsive. After the initial period of weeping and crying out for what he'd lost. It was as if he'd just slipped off to some distant place.

"We had to leave him back there…" She let out a shaky sigh. "I-I don't know if he's going to be alright."

They would give him a few hours, a little bit of time to pull himself back together. The rest of them were so beaten both physically and emotionally, that it had been decided that they would go home. Plagg would stay with him, keep watch and ensure that he wasn't alone. Whether or not it would be enough, she couldn't say. In her heart, she knew that there was a chance that Adrien, her Adrien was gone. Not in the same way that Kahn had attempted to destroy him. It was the shock from what he'd been forced to do whilst controlled, then losing Nathalie and also the way in which she had been taken from him.

She didn't even want to think back to those events. She'd never felt quite so powerless in her life as she had when she'd watched Nathalie die. Even if they had been able to stop the bleeding and heal the wound, Kahn would have taken hold. She'd known that. As much as Marinette repeated that simple fact to herself, it still failed to have the desired effect. All she could see was the woman's pale face, knowing that her own demise was approaching.

"I- I don't know what to say..." Was all that Marinette could manage, Tikki rested on her lap. "It's just before… I could fix everything. I can't this time."

"I know..." His voice was soft, full of gentle understanding.

She felt some tears stinging at the corner of her eyes. There was nothing to be done for it. She reasoned that the pain would become lesser eventually. Her parents who had experienced loss before had told her as much. She wasn't even that close to Nathalie. She was a face, an acquaintance more than anything else but she'd died, effectively been murdered and Ladybug for all of her strength and power had been powerless to help her. Worse, she had been the one to provide the woman with the instruments which had ultimately cost her her life.

"You couldn't have helped her Marinette."

"I don't know. She said she could help Adrien..." The young woman closed her eyes, thinking back to it. "I- I didn't think that she'd- I thought that she had another plan."

"She knew what she was doing." Luka slipped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her in close. "She made her choice."

Marinette knew that he was right. Of course, he hadn't witnessed the actual events which had lead to the woman's death but someone had related them to him, likely Alya. It didn't really matter, she was aware that he was doing his best to comfort her. She hadn't even been that close to Nathalie and still the loss of the woman weighed heavily upon her conscience. She didn't even want to think about how Adrien must have suffered and presumably was still. In fact, she'd never really lost anyone before. Her parents had warned her that the pain would linger for quite some time but that eventually it would get better.

For the time being however, the woman's face lingered behind the girl's eyes, even as she closed them, snuggling up to the young man once more:

"She saved us all..."

Adrien Agreste was lying on his side. These past few hours, he'd shed every tear that he felt he had left in his body. He was exhausted, even moving felt like it was a task far beyond his means. His mind might have been his own for the first time in a week but all he had inside of his head was the way that Nathalie had looked up at him as she'd gasped for breath, bleeding out slowly but surely. Her last breath hitched as his body turned to ash thanks to his destructive touch. He felt her body slipping thorough his fingers, turning to ash which was scattered on the breeze. The young man pleaded silently with the invisible forces for her to come back. He'd trade places in a heartbeat. Anything to take back what had been lost.

Plagg floated nearby. He had tried his best to console the young man but was now more accepting of the current circumstance and had decided to simply wait it out. He was snuggled up to his friend, resting against him in order to provide some much needed comfort.

"Adrien..." The kwami spoke softly to his partner. "You know she's gone."

"Of course… I killed her."

"Kahn did that." Plagg reminded the blonde haired man. "You just helped her along. She asked you to."

Adrien turned away. Instead, he sat up with his back to the wall. His fingers slipped into his pocket to retrieve a pen he had reclaimed a short while ago from his bedroom. It was the last thing that Nathalie had given him: a Christmas present. All the woman seemed to conceive of as a gift was something to do with stationary. They'd laughed about it at the time, allowing to become something of an inside joke. They wouldn't laugh about it ever again. He clicked the pen mindlessly a few more times before his hand hit the floor. It was as if his strength had been utterly drained, leaving him powerless to even raise his limbs.

"She was like a mother to me..." He declared after a short while. "I should have told her that."

"She knew Adrien. She might not have said it but she knew."

He closed his eyes, shaking his head slowly. The exhaustion that he felt was such that he couldn't even bring himself to get up. Marinette and the others were present in his mind of course but as soon as he thought about them, he found himself taken back to those terrible last few moments with the woman. Even now, he could feel her blood on his hand as he struggled to the best of his ability to stem the flow. He'd had the presence of mind to stagger downstairs and wash his hands before inevitably finding himself drawn back up here.

Plagg let out a sigh and floated over towards his partner. He paused, hovering somewhere near his hand. It took Adrien a while to realize that the kwami was trying to open his palm. He peered down perplexed. Eventually, he gave up all of his resistance, allowing his friend to do as he pleased. To his surprise, he felt a small rounded object be placed inside his hand.

Surprised, he looked down. The young man recognized relatively easily just what it was. He'd been taught about the secrets of the kwamis and the miraculous back at the temple in the mountains of Tibet. That was beginning to feel like it was a lifetime ago… Whatever the case, he found himself faced with an object that he had never before been presented with. It was a small jewel or stone. There was no string present, he would have to add one of he so chose, the power remained very much present within it. There were a thousand different strands, most of them dark which marked the strange little object.

"This is a..." His voice trailed off as something suddenly occurred to him, there was a familiar presence in the air. "Nathalie..."  
"She used the Cat miraculous, only for a second but… It's enough." Plagg extended his paw, offering the little jewel. "This way a part of her is always with you."

The kwagatama was a pretty little thing, although perhaps it had been prepared in some haste. For whatever reason, likely because Plagg wasn't the most thoughtful of all kwamis, he'd never presented his partner with such a gift. Perhaps that was a good thing. As touched as Adrien was by the gift, there was one single strand of hair which caught his attention. Out of all of the previous Cat Noirs, there was only one whom he felt that he truly needed to relate to. There were some tears behind his eyes as he looked towards his friend.

"Thanks Plagg..." It came out as a sob.

He held the gem tightly in the palm of his hand. It seemed to be generating an unnatural warmth. It wasn't unpleasant, in fact there was something distinctly familiar about it. The young man closed his eyes, pressing his head back against the wall behind him as he let the sensation pass throughout his body. It was a comfort. He didn't feel quite so alone in those few moments. It almost felt as if he was drifting somewhere between consciousness and dreams.

There was a familiar clicking sound, heels against a cold stone floor which caused him to open his eyes. He didn't react any more than that however. He was afraid that turning around would somehow break the spell. He knew intuitively that it wouldn't but still, there was something so impossible about all of this that he found himself unwilling to do anything that might potentially spoil the moment. So he just sat there in relative silence.

"You can't stay here forever..." A soft voice informed the young man.

"Sure I can." Adrien replied stubbornly, his voice broken. "You're dead and I killed you."

Nathalie smiled softly in a way that she so seldom had when she was alive. Adrien didn't question her presence. Her choice to speak to him was enough to cause him to turn to face the woman. She was younger, prettier than she had been when he'd last laid eyes upon her. Those terrible scars were gone now. Was it a perfect version of her from some prime point in her life or how she wished to appear to him, how he wished her to appear… It didn't really matter. The person who had died only a few hours ago was back with him once more.

"You need to start living your life Adrien..." The woman's eyes were steely as she faced him. "Don't make the same mistake your father did. Believe me, I'm not worth it."

The young man's face fell slightly at her words. He knew that she was right. The Nathalie before him was a spirit summoned forth from the Kwagatama. He could see her, so could Plagg. To the rest of the world though she was dead. There was no changing that. He didn't want to think about that right now. The two of them were together again, that had to mean something, surely? The young man looked to her somewhat pleadingly, desperate just to talk for her for a few moments longer, to pretend that everything was alright.

She didn't seem to argue. Maybe she couldn't. He didn't know what the exact limits to this sort of thing were. In fact, he wasn't entirely sure if the Kwagatama was responsible for this or if it was his own mind which was playing some manner of cruel trick on him.

"I want you back..." He spoke in a quiet, hushed voice.

"I know you do." She responded softly. "But that's not going to change anything."

"I could." He reminded the woman, showing her the ring on his finger. "I could take your place."

"Don't." Despite the terrible offer, she remains calm. "Things are best this way. I think you still have a lot in your life to live for. I only really had you."

How could only a handful of words hurt so much? She didn't intend to inflict pain, he could tell that much quite easily. He'd never openly searched for her affection. Nathalie never seemed like the type. All the same, he would have been lying if he said that there hadn't been some sort of a bond there, something he couldn't quite explain. It had neither been desired nor intended. Somehow, it had just come about. Kahn had sensed it. It was one of the reasons why he had taken such sick pleasure in torturing and tormenting the poor woman in her last few days on Earth… For all that, up until her last few moments, they had always pretended to just be some sort of colleagues. The lie hurt now more than ever.

How lowered his head, resting it against the knees which he brought up against him. He wondered if he could reach out and touch her. What he wouldn't give for some gentle warmth and reassurance right now. Oddly, he found himself longing for his mother. A woman he knew to be utterly delusional and power mad and whom he hadn't seen in well over a decade.

Strange how the world worked sometimes…

"I loved you- Love you..." He corrected himself after a few moments. "Did you know that?"

"Oh of course I did." She assured him with a gentle smile. "You're not all that much good at hiding your feelings, you know."

"I know. It's just…" He paused reflecting upon the matter for a few moments. "I didn't want you to die."

It must have seemed like such an obvious thing to say still, right now, in the presence of a dead woman, he couldn't quite think what to say. He allowed his mind to wander for a few moments. Already, he had exhausted every opportunity concerning how he could potentially bring the woman back to him. A wish was the only thing that would do it. For that, he would need the miraculous of the Ladybug. Perhaps he could have taken it from Marinette, he doubted she would willingly give it to him. After that, a few words and she would be back. He'd use himself… He could live with that. Well, sort of.

He reopened his eyes a moment later, reminding himself that she very much was with her. He wondered just how long she would stay.

"Are you in my head?" He asked her quietly.

"I'm in your heart." Nathalie gently assured him.

He smiled softly to himself, understanding what he meant. He opened his palm briefly, contemplating the kwagatama. He would need some string in order to ensure that he could wear it properly and that it couldn't possibly slip away from him and get lost. Slowly, as he sat there, he felt some of his strength begin to return to him and with it was a renewed sense of purpose.

There was something that he had been meaning to do for a while now. It was a relatively simple course of action which would require comparatively little effort. Even when he'd resolved to leave Tibet and return home, it had been on his mind. Master Fu had spoken to him about it, suggesting that in the long run, it would do him some good. In fact, on more than one occasion during his decade spent in the mountains, the man had given him permission, even encouraged him to go back so that he could do it. When finally he'd hoped on the plane which had brought him back here, he'd intended to do it as soon as he got back to the capital. Something had always stopped him.

"Could you stay a little longer?"

"What's on your mind?"

"There's somewhere I need to go..."

The woman frowned for a few moments, contemplating him. Then, suddenly and silently, she seemed to understand. A gentle smile made its way onto the woman's features. She nodded a few times. She would be with him for a short while yet. Until he'd completed one of the few final tasks which lay ahead.


	30. Loose ends

The wait would have been unbearable were it not for Nathalie. Plagg couldn't make his presence known and was forced to hide in his partner's pocket. So having the woman nearby was an unspeakably comforting for the young man. She didn't need to say anything, just standing there, being nearby was enough for him. He would have liked to speak to her but sadly, in the current situation, that would have been construed as being decidedly suspect. After all, he now knew that nobody but he could see her. Nobody had reacted to the woman's presence this far and her presence would most certainly have gotten some raised eyebrows ordinarily.

He sat down nervously, rubbing at the ring on his finger. It was a nervous tick he'd developed from the first week he'd had the miraculous. It unsettled a nearby red haired woman, who fixed him with a certain amount of unease. He gave her an apologetic smile, trying his best to focus on anything else.

The young man was keen to appear relaxed, composed, dignified in the light of what was yet to come. It was a struggle. Even now, after all these years, he felt some true terror sitting here, aware of what he had signed on for. The young man reasoned that he could have run, if he really wanted to. They weren't going to prevent him from leaving. It would have been a disappointment should he flee however. No… He turned to Nathalie, in some ways, he owed this to her. More than once, she'd made the suggestion to him. Later… That's what he'd always told her.

Well later was today.

A tall man with silver hair entered the room, escorted by two officers. He froze upon seeing his visitor's face. Surely, someone must have warned him. No… That wasn't surprise. He tensed up. Anger? Hatred? The man had reason enough to despise Adrien. After all, he was the reason that he found himself in this place, locked away but never forgotten about. Eventually, he was walked over to the table. He sat down. His hands were still handcuffed. The younger of the two forced himself to look the other in the eye.

"You have half an hour." He was informed.

"Thank you." Adrien replied, his mouth dry.

There should have been an awful amount for them to talk about. A decade without meeting or even speaking. They each should have had their own questions to ask regarding how the other had been faring. More than once, Adrien had imagined what he would say.

Part of him wanted to be angry, resentful, to say all of the things he hadn't been able to before when they had last parted ways. Now though, he couldn't quite bring himself to build up that amount of hatred. Instead, he just felt tired, as if all of this was rather pointless. Instead of speaking, he just looked at the man, taking note of the grey hairs and new lines on his face. He seemed smaller, less imposing. There was no fear inside of the young man but oddly perhaps a tiny piece of pity, the last thing he'd ever thought he'd feel fourteen years ago. He should have come sooner.

"You look terrible."

It figured that the first words his father said to him in over ten years would be a criticism.

Adrien couldn't help but scoff at that. He could have said something similar. Prison didn't suit Gabriel Agreste particularly well. That much was made quite clear by his appearance, he'd lost weight and no longer carried that proud demeanour about him. His son imagined that he'd abandoned that rather quickly when he'd first found himself locked away. Thankfully, the young man was determined to live more or less by the oath he had taken a long time ago. Part of that meant not being cruel… He would take a few hits from his father, it wasn't as if the man could hurt him now anyhow.

"I've had a rough few days..." Was all that he could think to answer.

"I heard you went to China." Adrien looked up surprised, wondering how and when his parent could have got such information. "It was on the news… Fancy a new life, did you?"

"After what you did?! I wanted to get as far away from you and your shadow as I could and to try make amends."

His father tensed up momentarily. Adrien didn't look away however, silently challenging his father to contradict him. It was difficult to explain how desperately he'd needed to escape, to flee and find himself anywhere else. Tibet was practically the other end of the world and still at times, it hadn't quite seemed like enough. He didn't inform the man that he was now a Guardian, the only one, the last one… There was no need to expose that part of his life. Gabriel Agreste had proven countless times that he couldn't be trusted.

There was yet another pause. This time marked with a certain amount of mutual dislike. Even after all these years, the teen could tell that his parent still bore a grudge. Perhaps this would be a much briefer trip than he had anticipated… 

"So what brings you here today?" The man asked with a slightly cutting tone.

Without saying anything, Adrien found himself turning towards Nathalie. He did so discretely, trying his best not to attract too much unwanted attention. It was the sort of thing which most people would have picked up upon. Perhaps his father was a little more open-minded than most where the supernatural was concerned but even he might find the concept of being able to see a dead woman somewhat odd. Even the young man himself wasn't all that convinced that he wasn't going mad… All the same, she was a comfort and he would take as much of that right now as he possibly could.

The woman gave him a little nod, encouraging him to go ahead. He took a deep breath, readying himself.

"Nathalie's dead."

The words simply slipped out.

The police had been informed. He knew that much. There was a vague memory in the back of his mind of Ladybug warning him that she was going to have to let the authorities know. She'd left out Adrien Agreste's name but they knew that something, something supernatural, had slain Nathalie Sancoeur. The danger was gone now. As was the woman. Announcing that much however took more out of him than he would have assumed. It brought him right back to that terrible evening, with the woman dying in his arms…

He didn't know what the relationship between Nathalie and his father was. She'd never wanted to- No… He remembered Kahn's words. The cruelty behind his intentions as having torn the woman's flesh apart, he tried to target her heart. Not easy for a woman whose name and general demeanour seemed to indicate that she didn't have one. He'd found the way however. Gabriel Agreste was a man whom somehow, it wasn't something Adrien could particularly understand, had managed to capture the woman's affections. Had they ever been returned? It was a question he found himself asking as he turned to face his father.

The man seemed to be shocked. He simply starred at his son for a few moments, blinking. It was as if the words hadn't quite registered. This was news to him, proof that an official announcement was yet to be made. He regretted the bluntness with which he'd delivered the news. It lacked in tact, no doubt coming as a painful shock to Gabriel.

"What?.." His father managed eventually as the colour drained from his face.

"I- She..." He'd wanted to sound brave and dignified, to let him know just what she had done. Instead, his voice was trembling and his limbs followed suit, like a man about to break into tears. "There was this… This monster, it possessed Cat Noir. She saved him, probably the world by swapping places and he- he had to finish it."

Could his father understand? Would he forgive his son for taking the life of a woman whom had, at one point, been his most loyal of assistants and most certainly a friend, perhaps even more. The man shook his head, unable to come to terms with what he was being told. Adrien didn't shy away, as much as he would have wanted to. Nathalie moved round to stand a little closer to him. She placed a hand on his shoulder. It was that same otherworldly warmth, strangely comforting. He allowed a few tears to fall down his cheeks.

"I'm sorry..."

The young man made quick work of wiping the tears off of his cheeks. He didn't want to appear to be weak in front of a man who had considered him too sensitive even when he notionally cared about him. Yet here he was, perhaps proving that whilst his body had grown, the soul inside remained more or less the same. Perhaps, he should have been ashamed of it. He could feel Plagg hiding away inside his coat pocket pressed himself against him, providing as much comfort as he could in the current circumstances.

If they only had half an hour, five minutes of it were spent in silence. There were some things which didn't need to be said. Perhaps Adrien told himself, it would have been best if he'd left and come back at a later date when his father had had the opportunity to process all of this properly. Dumping it on his shoulders was maybe a harsh thing to do. Despite what the world thought about Gabriel Agreste, his son was aware that he still had something resembling a heart.

More than once, he prepared to speak but seemed to think better of it. Adrien didn't push him.

"Cat Noir ended it?" The young man nodded in response to his father's question. "Then at least she didn't suffer."

He didn't bother to correct him. Gabriel didn't need to know exactly what those last few moments had been like. He didn't need to be informed about the blade that had pierced her a few minutes beforehand or that Kahn had been slowly but surely eating away at her sanity and her very soul in an attempt to take control, if only for a few seconds. Cataclysm was, in comparison, a reasonably quick way to go. Adrien didn't want to think back to it regardless. The young man already felt as if he had carried out some of his duty simply by coming here like this.

It was clear that the news had shocked the man. Did he even know that she had been released? Adrien had tried to push those who had betrayed him from his mind to the best of his ability. He hadn't followed any of the court proceedings or sentences, knowing intuitively that his mother was liable to be institutionalized for life and that there was no way that Gabriel was going to ever be let out from behind bars, at least not for a good few decades. Nathalie had been allowed to go free after ten years. Albeit with a tag on her leg and no doubt being kept a very close eye on by the government.

Perhaps he has assumed that she was still locked up and therefore, paradoxically, safe from the outside world. It dawned on Adrien as he thought that that had she still been behind bars or had he refused to give in to his loneliness and fear and approached her in the first place, that she would still be alive… That would haunt him for quite some time as he wondered just what Nathalie Sancoeur might have done with her life had he not entered it.

"She always was too loyal for her own good." Gabriel muttered quietly after a few moments. "-but… Giving her life for Cat Noir, knowing her, that would have been something that made her proud."

"It is..."

Adrien found himself looking to his side. Nathalie was standing there. There was a certain sorrow behind her bright blue eyes but as she turned to face him, she offered him a little smile. He looked to her painfully. It took all of his self-control to avoid addressing her, offering her a sincere apology once more. What else could he possibly say? Part of him was thinking over his father's words. The woman had volunteered to take his place as far as Kahn's possession was concerned. She'd been dying prior to that… Was that really a death that she could have been proud of?

"You're the only thing I had left that was worth anything in my life." She told him in a soft voice.

He looked away, a few tears making their way down his cheeks as he sat there. He would speak with her later about the matters. For the time being, he would concentrate on the present. The news had most clearly shaken his father. He knew that much simply from a look. So close to the man he had spent the past decade cursing from the mountains of Tibet, Adrien finds himself struggling to muster together the same amount of loathing which came so instinctively.

Gabriel seemed to be tired, a bit lethargic. He no longer looked like Hawk Moth, the terrorist who had brought Paris to its knees. Instead, he was a man edging closer to sixty and who had spent the past few years locked up behind bars, likely with no visitors. Whilst Adrien didn't feel any sympathy, he couldn't find it in him to actually hate the man. It felt a bit like kicking someone when they were done. If anything, it just brought back to him the futility of all of this. Had his parents never embarked on their power mad quest then none of this would ever have happened, he wouldn't be the Guardian.

Nathalie would still be alive… Everything seemed to come back to that.

After a few moments, Gabriel turned back to see his only child. The anger and dislike behind his eyes had disappeared as well. It was just father and son, talking for the first time in over a decade, some would argue even longer:

"Have you spoken to your mother?"

"No..." Adrien confessed, his voice trailing off. "Do you think I should?"

"You know as well as I do what sort of reception you're likely to get..." The man paused for an instant or so, looking else where before adding. "I think she's beyond either of our help now."

Adrien didn't comment. There were some things which didn't need to be spoken of. In his mind, he could still picture the madness behind his parent's eyes as she had found herself confronted by her own son, Cat Noir. The laughter and the clear glee that she had taken from inflicting pain on those who stood in her way had been the fuel for his nightmares for a good many years after he had left her. It came as no surprise to him to know that she had ended up in a rather different institution to his father.

He had only a few fond memories of his parent. She's been gentle and kind and loving at one point in the past. Before the miraculous had been thrown into his life, his mother had been the one he had gone to for comfort, when he was afraid. He wouldn't those few pleasant little recollections by adding yet more unpleasant ones to tarnish the mix.

Once more, the young man fixed his father. Gabriel said nothing, eyeing the individual he hadn't seen since he was a teenager with a certain amount of uncertainty. For both of them, this was something of an awkward discussion. So far at least, he was going to say that things were going surprisingly well. They hadn't been fighting. It was however unspeakably awkward. Neither of them were too sure just what to say to one another. They would need weeks, perhaps even months to regain some semblance of a regular discussion flowing between the two of them. Shifting uncomfortably, the teen asked after a while:

"How have things been for you?"

"I'm in prison Adrien." The man reminded him dryly. "Don't ask foolish questions. What about you? What have you been doing with your life?"

Adrien bit his tongue. Even now, despite everything that had happened between him, there was some voice in the back of his mind which demanded that he pay the appropriate respects to his father and did exactly what the man said. The first fourteen years of his life had left a definite mark on his psyche. It took a fair amount of effort for him not to speak a few words which could easily have spelled disaster.

It was imperative that nobody knew that Master Fu was dead, at least not outside of their little circle. It was unlikely that a man who was edging closer to two-hundred at the time he had passed had had any family. It wasn't a question that Adrien had ever dared ask. Now, the last of the real guardians was buried by a young apprentice who bitterly regretted much of what he had done. He should have stayed in the temple. None of the suffering which had befallen his friends would have occurred. The young man shook his head, he had spent long enough dwelling on those matters already.

"I've been fixing the mess that you made, trying to make amends."

"Amends with whom?" There was a somewhat clipped tone to his father's words. "The Guardian? The world?"

"You hurt so many people…" Adrien growled, anger taking over."I had to find some way to make it better."

"And how much have you sacrificed for that?"

The question caused Adrien to tense up suddenly. It wasn't that he hadn't been expecting such a strike from his father but… Somehow it hit home. He'd spent a decade on a mountain side making amends. He'd willingly given up his hopes and dreams, despite his master's protests to make up for what had been done. He's lived for years without the girl he loved or any of his friends. The training had been painful, trying but not once had he complained. Such was the scar that he'd felt his parents had left on the world that somehow needed to be mended. He'd only seen the one way to do that.

"Everything… Or near enough. I sacrificed everything!"

The anger died down almost as soon as it had come. He knew that he'd been forced to give up so much that the chances of him being able to recover from it and live something even beginning to resemble a normal life: he had no qualifications and enough scars physical and mental to make him unsuitable to be anyone's life partner. Even Marinette… He loved her so but how could she even begin to contemplate living with him after everything that had passed between them. Maybe she could but then how could he allow her to make such a sacrifice? He knew how terribly they hurt…

He became aware of his father's gaze resting upon him. This was the closest that he'd ever seen him to being the parent that he had known as a child. There was that same coldness, the silent judgement of a man who thought himself to be just one level above everyone else. He knew what was best for his son.

Adrien fancied that he was a failure in the man's eyes in pretty much every way possible. The only thing that he had really succeeded in was not getting himself killed. Even that he'd required assistance with. The young man was a traitor to the family. He'd seen both of his parents put behind bars and shown comparatively little remorse for it. So as he sat there, he fully expected to receive some harsh words from his father. The man took a breath and then spoke in his usual dry and cold voice:

"Well maybe it's time that you start living for yourself."

Simple words but how many implications did they carry? In truth, Adrien wasn't too sure that he knew just how to respond. It wasn't something that he ever thought that he would ever heard from Gabriel Agreste of all people.

He knew what the man meant. Nathalie had told him much the same. It wasn't an easy prospect however. There was so much uncertainty. He wasn't just Adrien Agreste any more, no matter how much he might want to be, nor was he without responsibility. He was the last Guardian. Kahn's attack had brought that home to him. There was a reason why Master Fu had spent so long in hiding. Adrien paused, contemplating his options in silence. In an odd way, he almost wished that his father could and would tell him just what to do, give him one of the orders as he once had done in the past.

"I'll do what I think is right."

It was the only answer that he could provide the man with. The honest truth. It was what he'd sworn to tell when becoming a Guardian although his current course of action had caused him to be forced to tell a few white lies. Of course, Nathalie had had a role to play in that. He owed her a fair amount. A few seconds later, one of the guards tapped their watch. He had two minutes. Two minutes to say goodbye to Hawk Moth, his father, a man he hadn't seen in some ten years but who, despite everything, he still felt a little something inside of him which reminded him that this person, for all of his wrongdoings was his father.

He didn't know what to say, fixing the table before him, unable to raise his eyes to meet those of his parent. He was lost, afraid of what he knew was to come. Briefly, he glanced towards Nathalie. She was still there, sympathetic, providing silent comfort as was Plagg. He took a few uncertain breaths, trying to make sense of what he had to say. He'd planned it at some point, readied himself for what he would tell his parent when he came to see him again. Now? Nothing would come from him.

"Adrien. You don't need to come back here." Came the surprisingly gentle words from the man. "Some things are best left in the past."

The young man considered his father and his words for a few moments. They weren't exactly the sort he'd ever thought he'd hear from the man. Initially, he assumed that his parent was simply saying it because he no longer wanted to be reminded of – as he saw it – his failure of a son. After a few moments though, he thought it might just conceivably have been something else, a concern for both of them. This might be the best way forwards. There was plenty of water under the bridge but the passage of time had healed some of the wounds.

Not enough though, it never would.

Adrien managed to do something that he never thought would have been able to do again. He smiled. It wasn't much. Just a little gesture. Something to let his parent know that he still thought about him, that despite everything, there was still something there between them. It wasn't much but just enough to remind the two that they were father and son. For a second, just a second, the man returned the gesture. It was that image that his child would chose to keep in his mind whenever he thought of him. Proof that somewhere along the line, there was a little piece of goodness somewhere to be found inside of the man.

He was escorted out of the room and didn't waste any time in leaving the prison. Nathalie continued to accompany him, like the silent wraith that she was. Still, he took some comfort from her presence. For whatever reason, the weight which had been on his chest was just a little bit lighter as he pulled into the drive of the mansion.

Later, he found himself standing by the fireplace aware that there were still things which needed to be tended to. His gaze drifted back down towards Nathalie. She sat there silently, eyes fixed upon him. She offered him a gentle smile, calming him slightly. He was still a little bit uncertain however, knowing what remained to be done. After a few moments, she got back up, taking a few steps closer towards him. He turned to face her fully, trying as best as he could to ready himself as a knot formed in his throat:

"It's time for you to go, isn't it?"

"Well… I can't stay here forever." She replied with a slight shrug of the shoulders. "Are you going to be okay from here on out?"

"I know what I've got to do but I just wish you were here with me." A confession he was no longer afraid to make.

The woman smiled gently. It would have been a rare sight when she was alive but right now, curiously, he was growing accustomed to it. She seemed to understand him. As he felt that the time was coming nearer for them to go their separate ways, he found himself reaching for his kwagatama, feeling some strange form of comfort originating from it. She gave him a few moments, just a little bit longer to come to to terms with what was going on. Strangely, the pain was lesser now that it had been. Although he still found himself wishing that he knew of some way to bring her back permanently.

"I'm here whenever you need me. Just call… Or listen." She smiled softly in response. "Either way, I'm always there."

He nodded a few times but said nothing, silently acknowledging her words. He felt a strange warmth as the woman closed the distance between the two of them. A couple of tears stung at the corner of his eyes, prompting him to close them as he lowered his head. He let out a heavy sigh. It was an otherworldly gentleness which brushed against his cheek, banishing the tears away. He looked up to see the features of the woman. Silently, she bent down and placed a kiss atop his head. A "farewell". He closed his eyes, forgot about himself for a moment.

When he dared to look once more, Nathalie was gone. He was alone once more. Well… Not entirely. By his side was Plagg. The kwami said nothing, floating over to his companion. Adrien's gaze drifted back towards the rest of the city:

"You ready?" The creature asked him eventually.

"Yes… Time to tie up some loose ends."

 **...**

 **Just wanted to thank everyone for their reviews and say "sorry" for the delay with this chapter.**


	31. Au revoir

The rain thundered down relentlessly atop the Paris rooftops. For Marinette in her bedroom, it proved to be rather deafening. She didn't even attempt to try to get to sleep, contenting herself with starring out of the window, trying to put her thoughts in order once more.

Luka had gone home. Well… Sort of. The police had been dredging bits of the Couffaine boat house out of the river all day. In the meantime Chloe and her father were putting them up in the hotel. That left her here alone. She found herself pondering whether or not to go back to the mansion. It had been two days. Whilst part of her was inclined to allow the young man the time that he needed to heal, she didn't want him to potentially waste away alone up there. A part of her feared him vanishing, just as he had done some ten years ago. She turned towards Tikki. She was some of her comfort.

"He won't leave without you..." The girl muttered considering the kwami.

"Or you..." Tikki promised her quietly.

"I- I'm going to go look for him." She declared eventually, her mind finally made up.

"You might not have to."

Tikki's statement caused her partner to look up. She hadn't noticed for the sound of the rain on the roof drowning everything else out, that there was something or rather someone else out there. It was larger than a pigeon or even a cat, moving around above her head. Eventually, she spotted a silhouette, a little flash of black near her window. Curiously, it wasn't knocking or making any excessively obvious attempts to draw her attention. So, Marinette took matters in to her own hands.

She got to her feet and climbed the ladder, opening the hatch which lead to the roof. The figure up there met her gaze but said nothing, approaching in silence. She got out of the way, letting him past.

Cat Noir was drenched to the bone. His hair sagged down and his disguise clung to his body more than usual. Acting quickly she went to her wardrobe, getting him a towel. He mouthed a "thank you" drying himself as best as he could. She waited patiently, giving him all the time that he needed. In truth, she hadn't seen Paris' former protector since it was Kahn in the driving seat. There was some part of her, the self-preservation instinct which told her to be cautious, that he dark clad individual with green eyes had hurt her before and could easily do so again. She fought it back as best as she could.

Marinette was quiet. After a few moments, her eyes drifted back towards Tikki. It was strange but all of a sudden, she found herself wondering just what might have drawn the young man here. It only just occurred to her that Kahn was gone. It had cost them terribly but the threat no longer existed. That meant that there was no reason to have the miraculouses out in the open and therefore potentially at risk. Just like Master Fu had done a decade ago, the guardian would want to reclaim the jewels so as to be able to ensure their protection personally.

That would entail her saying "goodbye" to her partner. She glanced once more towards the kwami. It had been hard enough to do once. A second time? Granted, in the scheme of things, they hadn't spent half as much time together but still… There was a certain amount of sorrow behind her eyes but the look that she gave her made her think that it was something that Tikki had been through on more than one occasion. Perhaps if they could draw that out just a little bit longer then it would make things just that little bit more bearable. Whatever the case, Adrien was being uncommonly quiet, barely even looking in her direction.

He didn't say anything. Leading her to only wonder. Perhaps, she reasoned, given how timid he could be sometimes, he simply didn't want to have to ask her to give them up. That might explain why he couldn't look her in the eye right now… Minutes passed. Cat Noir allowed the towel to drape round his shoulders, stopping some of his hair from dangling round his neck. From time to time, he would give her the occasional furtive glance.

"Are you okay?" She asked him finally remembering that only a couple of days ago, someone very dear to his heart had been taken from him.

"Getting there." Was his quiet response. "I'm sorry… For everything that happened."

"You're not to blame… It was Kahn."

Cat Noir nodded slowly a few times. It would seem that he couldn't argue with that much. She was only too glad for that. For whatever reason, she'd imagined that he would be beating himself up over it. Maybe he'd done so already, kicking himself over what had happened.

She wasn't too sure whether to ask about that or just assume that he was coping one way or another. She would have asked about what was to happen to Nathalie but she and Alya or rather Ladybug and Rena Rouge had already been to the police about it. Startled though they'd been, they'd taken the heroes at their word and were already preparing a statement. She didn't seem to have much if anything resembling a family, so Adrien Agreste was the only person they'd thought to inform. The young woman had winced at the prospect but ultimately hadn't been able to stop them without potentially throwing all of their secret identities out the window.

"I'm sorry..." Was all that she could think to whisper.

"It's okay. Well… It isn't but-" Adrien shrugged his shoulders. "She's gone now. Marinette-"

Whatever it was that he had to say, he seemed to lack the ability or rather the will to articulate any further. She could only imagine. In truth, she already know what it was, the reason why he was so quiet, struggling to do so little as to look her in the eye. Next to her, Tikki drew in just a little bit closer. Marinette held off of commenting for fear of it accelerating what she feared was about to happen. On the other hand, the young woman was acutely aware that it might have been just what his mission was and why this would prove to be so difficult for him.

So, despite herself, Marinette decided to be brave:

"You're here for the Miraculous, aren't you?"

"I've got to go Marinette." He let out a heavy sigh. "I'm the last Guardian… If anything happens to me, all that knowledge. It's lost."

"Please stay… We're your friends."

He looked back towards her, green eyes full of sorrow. She sensed that he was in two minds. A part of her wanted nothing more than to beg him to stay. Perhaps it was wishful thinking but she felt as if he might have been wavering in his obligations. He'd already suffered so much for those vows that he'd taken and for the sake of balance. Adrien Agreste deserved his freedom. True, a part of her motivation was selfish, she wanted him to stay with them for her own reasons as well but, she'd seen the man who'd returned from a life of isolation and she remained far from convinced that it was what was best for him.

In ten years he'd changed practically beyond all recognition. What would another few years do to him?

There was a question on the tip of her tongue. It was something that she had wondered about for over a decade now but had never once dared to ask. She loved him and didn't want to hurt him. There was a good chance, she reckoned, that what she had left to say was about to injure him. All the same, at this point, she felt desperate to know, if only because she could only hope that the young man would think about the implications of her question and maybe do just a little bit of soul searching.

"You never said..." She reminded the young man. "Did you want to become a guardian?"

"Please don't ask me that Mari." He pleaded in a quiet voice.

"Just answer, please..."

Cat Noir looked away. His gaze fell upon a photo which sat on the desk nearby. It was beginning to age. They all looked so young, so carefree. He recognized himself there no doubt. It had been taken a few months before his world had fallen apart. Before Hawk Moth and Mayura's downfall… Tibet had seemed, to all of them, just like some distant land which none of them would ever see. It could easily have been another planet. Adrien Agreste smiled warmly near to his friends, Marinette was closest of all, their identities still secret from one another… There was a clear longing behind his eyes, a desperation to be able to go back to those days.

She wouldn't push him any further. In her heart, she felt that she already knew the answer to her question. She knew that Master Fu wouldn't have forced Adrien to go along with him. His exile had been a self imposed one. Had she only known, had he not dumped everything so suddenly on them before fleeing into the night all those years ago, no doubt she would have pleaded with him, told him that it wasn't his fault. She would have begged him to stay with them. It was all in the past and right now, she felt that they were sill paying for those few mistakes.

His silence lasted only for a few moments longer. She was convinced that he wasn't going to answer or tell her never to bother her with such a question again given that it visibly pained him to admit that he had suffered for his sacrifice. Marinette opened her mouth, ready to tell him not to bother and to apologize for bringing it up in the first place.

"No... I didn't." His voice broke as he struggled to hold back the tears. "I wanted to be with you. I love you..."

She had once longed to hear those few words uttered to her. She'd dreamed of handsome Adrien Agreste telling her that he loved her and wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. They would have three children, she'd known their names already and a hamster… It was something which had occupied her thoughts for many months as a teenager. He'd come close to broking her heart on occasion and given her a reason to hope. Then, in the space of a single night, he'd left her with all of that and disappeared.

Now… She didn't quite know what to make of it. Her own thoughts and emotions were muddle. It would have been a lie to say that she wasn't tempted to just let the same few words slip out of her mouth. She did love him but… How everything had changed. It was difficult to express quite what she felt in those few moments. She raised a hand, resting it on her chest and taking note of the sudden thundering of her heart. The young woman let out a sigh, trying to regain some sense of herself. Her silence was costing him a little, perhaps he feared that he had said a little bit too much. At any rate, he was vulnerable.

She let out a sigh, taking the few steps to bridge the distance which separated them. She took his hand carefully. He didn't resist as she raised it to her lips and kissed his knuckles. He considered her for a few brief moments, evidently somewhat unsure about just what was going on. Marinette looked up at him, unsure. She was aware of the thundering of her heart as its beat pounded through her ears.

A few moments later, without another word being exchanged, the young man bent down, placing a kiss on her lips. She leaned in, allowing him to slip his arms around her waist, pulling her in just a bit closer. She closed her eyes losing herself for a few instants. Adrien seemed to be a little uncertain. She reminded herself that he'd lived more or less in isolation for the past decade and had taken all of those vows. Kahn might have kissed her in his body but this was still very much new to him. So she decided to take things slow, give him some time to get accustomed to the feeling and figure out just what was going through his mind.

After a few seconds, he pulled away panting a little:

"I love you Marinette."

She smiled gently in response, unsure what else she could add. Instead, they kissed once more. Her eyes closed,. His uncertainties were ebbing away slowly but surely, replaced with confidence. He was gentle at the very least. Truth be told, he reminded her a fair bit of Luka in that respect. The young woman closed her eyes, feeling her heart speed up just that little bit. Cat Noir pulled her in just a little bit closer as the kiss deepened. In those few instants, she felt herself slip away just that little bit more, losing herself.

It must have been mutual as Adrien's eyes abruptly shot open as if he was rediscovering her or perhaps sensing just where things were going. 

"M-Mari..." He gasped putting just a few inches of distance between them. "I've got to go..."

"I know..."

She gave him the opportunity to leave or to de-escalate things should he want to, lowering her gaze. She could feel his attention resting on her, uncertain, nervous. Without looking at him, she distracted herself but trying to guess just what was going through his mind, she could hear the shuddering of his breaths as they warmed her skin. She didn't know what to say, if anything could possibly be said in the first time. Instead, nerves prevented her from looking up. She could only imagine just what he was thinking. He was still to release her however, which seemed to tell her that he was still thinking things through, wondering for once in his life if he could be a little bit selfish.

He took a single step back from her, to her surprise. That prompted her to look back towards him, unsure just what he was doing and assuming that he was about to leave or to break things up, remind her of just what he was doing here and why they couldn't be together like this. Instead, she found him to be considering her once more. He didn't let go of her hands however, instead closing his eyes as he seemed to ready himself. He didn't explain himself, taking a deep breath as if he was readying himself for something. She frowned confused before abruptly understanding.

"Plagg, claws in!"

….

Marinette slept quietly. Her breaths warmed him. He held her loosely as he rested her head on his chest. He could tell that she was asleep but that was no bad thing. There was a certain amount of both comfort and serenity which came from having her here like this. She seemed to beautiful and peaceful. It wasn't entirely the case however. He couldn't help but notice a series of dark marks, bruises and scratches still fresh from her battle with Kahn. He rubbed a few of them, considering it to be a sin that she had been hurt in such a fashion and silently wishing the pain away as he rubbed one of the marks on her shoulder with his thumb.

All of this was just postponing the inevitable. He'd thought about closing his eyes, allowing himself to fall asleep. It was tempting. He was warm, safe and comfortable lying here like this. He felt loved. He knew that he was and truth be told, the feeling was mutual. It would have been practically impossible to tear him from the young woman sleeping soundly in his arms. The mere thought of separation caused him to hold onto her just that little bit tighter. She was out-cold and failed to respond.

He liked to think that she was somewhere peaceful and quiet, resting. He groaned softly looking up at the roof. The rain was still falling heavily. His hair hadn't even dried fully yet, not that Marinette had complained but still, he felt a little bit guilty.

Despite how relaxed he was, there was a weight upon his chest. A painful sense of dread which was becoming more prevalent with every passing moment. He was acutely aware of the time passing him by. There was no deadline asides the one which he had set himself with the knowledge that if he didn't make his move, his courage would almost inevitably desert him. With a sigh, he moved slowly, taking the young woman in his arms and easing her down so that she wasn't resting on him any more but was rather snug in her bed. A second later, he slipped out himself.

"Adrien…" Plagg's voice was little more than a whisper as he approached his partner. "Think about this."

"I have Plagg… I have."

Quietly, he turned back to face Marinette.

 _It was a wonder that none of this has woken her up…_ Adrien thought to himself as he considered her. Granted, these past few days had been decidedly taxing and it was about three in the morning but still. He'd been expecting her to be disturbed as he'd slipped out of her bed, getting back into his clothes. He was astonished that she hadn't even stirred a little bit. Evidently that was a new trait of hers to add to the lost of those that he knew of: deep sleeper. Good. Let her have her rest. She most definitely deserved it.

He could have spent a long time like that, watching her. There was something soothing about it. It reminded him just why he'd allowed himself to suffer the way he had: the isolation, pain both physical and emotional as he'd pushed both his body and spirit to their limits, even the loss… She was safe. Battered and bruised and likely with some new nightmares of her own to have from time to time but she would live.

Tentatively, he reached out and stroked her cheek with the back of his hand. She moaned softly, shifting towards where he should have been and where the bed was still a bit warmer. He loved her. Once more, he found himself silently debating whether or not to stay. He could do so. Renounce on the vows. Somewhere along the line, he already had. Leaving her like this would hurt her. He knew that and so did she. They'd decided silently to go ahead. If only because they would likely never get another chance.

Right now, he wasn't entirely sure if he regretted it or not. It certainly reminded him of what he was going to lose.

"I love you..." He whispered quietly, hoping that somehow she might hear him. "Don't wait for me."

He said nothing as he got up, heading towards the window. A couple of words muttered under his breath saw Adrien Agreste vanish and Cat Noir take his place. There was one last glance over his shoulder, a tentative look to see just what he was about to say "goodbye" to, perhaps even "adieu". There was a sharp pain in his throat. A voice inside of him which just pleaded to do something selfish, to slip back to where had been so comfortable, so warm and so safe only a few moments ago… How could he leave this?

…..

Marinette awoke steadily the following morning as the sun drifted in through her window. She didn't know what time it was. Judging by the light, it must have been coming on for 9 AM. Her parents wouldn't be disturbing her. Not after everything that had happened these past few days. She needed her rest. Her mind was foggy, unable to quite recall everything that had occurred the night before. She let out a sigh, half tempted to ignore whatever the clock next to her said and seek a few minutes longer in the blissful peace that she had found herself in only a short while prior.

It was as she turned onto her side that she realized something had changed. She didn't quite know what. She found herself seeking something which plainly wasn't there any longer. Just what it was, she didn't know, her memory wouldn't quite travel that far back. Its absence however pained her. She found herself more actively seeking it out but still was unable to find it. It was warmth, it was comfort… It was-

Her eyes shot upon with the realization of just what was missing. The spot in her bed next to her was empty. It's occupant absent. She sat up, looking round hoping against hope that he might be somewhere nearby. All she found herself faced with was a familiar but empty bedroom.

She wasn't too sure why she was all that surprised. She's known what she was getting into from the moment that she had kissed him. There was a silent and unspoken agreement. Perhaps, she reasoned, she had thought that he might change his mind. A foolish notion really, he'd got it stuck in his head that the only way to keep them safe and do what was right was to leave, no matter what it cost him. Maybe this was what was best. She'd loved him. Told him that much. He'd done the same and now he was gone. Did she regret it? A question to be asked another day. Now, she found herself alone. Letting out a sigh, the young woman pulled some of the sheets up about her. How long ago had he left?

"Marinette?"

Tikki's sudden presence caught her off-guard. For whatever reason, she assumed that Adrien would have taken the earrings with him. Despite the kwami being only a couple of feet away, she still found herself reaching towards her ears, just to check that the jewellery was still there. Confused, the young woman found herself glancing round the room once more, just to confirm that he had gone. A look pained from her partner said it all:

"Are you okay?"

"I guess."

Was she? She felt awkward, unsure but more than that was the sense that she'd just lost something. The young woman let out a sigh. She got out of bed and slipped into her pyjamas, reasoning that she would take a shower in a short while. Turning back around, she took some care to smooth over the covers and her pillow, erasing all traces that she'd had a visitor the night before. Her parents didn't need to know. She wasn't entirely sure what they would make of all of this. Generally they were both understanding and chose to stay out of her personal life. They'd always done so with Luka. This was… A little different.

It could be a few days before she was able to think about this properly so she was determined not to put too much thought into it. Adrien was gone now… A couple of months ago it had seemed unlikely that they would ever set eyes on him again. She's gotten on with her life with that knowledge even if he'd remained present in his mind as he'd wondered just what had become of her crush. At least now she knew. He was safe. Out there somewhere in the world protecting it and ensuring the protection of the miraculouses…

A thought occurred to her as she turned towards Tikki:

"I thought he was going to take you away."

"He didn't..." The kwami floated over to a table nearby. "He left you this."

Curious, Marinette approached slowly. Sure enough, there was a note there. It had been scribbled out quickly, the pen was placed next to it, indicating that it had been written out only a short while ago. Adrien's handwriting, neat and tidy, as his father had forced him to perfect it, taught by Nathalie Sancoeur hadn't changed. She could probably have asked Tikki when he left but didn't bother. It didn't really seem to matter right now… He was gone. Be it 3 AM or 8 in the morning, he was no longer with her.

She read the message carefully.

 _Dear Marinette,_

 _I'll be gone by the time that you read this._

 _I'm sorry. Really I am but I can't put you and the others in danger by staying in Paris and I can't risk the future of the miraculouses by remaining the last guardian. I'm going back to Tibet. The temple needs me._

 _The miraculouses are yours. Paris needs some heroes. Keep them safe for me._

 _There's something else. It's Agreste. The company's yours. Everything that was mine, is yours. You can keep it or sell it. I just want you to have it. I think that all the paperwork, Nathalie helped me with it, so don't worry about inheriting a mess. All the ship needs is a captain._

 _I hope that one day, you and I can meet again as Cat Noir and Ladybug and as Adrien and Marinette. In the meantime, please, live your life._

 _I love you milady,_

 _Adrien,_

She read the little note again and again. The fact that she now had one of the largest fashion companies in the world to her name didn't quite register properly. Instead, she found herself thinking about where he will be. She didn't know what rebuilding the guardians would require. Patience but also members. Just where was he going to find them? Presumably he had some sort of a plan…

Her gaze travelled back towards the city. The rain from the night before had left the rooftops and streets wet, waters continued to gush through the drains and gutters but the clouds were gone now. Instead, there was blue sky and a sunrise which hopefully would promise a nice day to come. She let out a sigh, resting her head against her hand as she considered the city. It had been saved. By Cat Noir and Ladybug but mostly by a brave former supervillain called Nathalie Sancoeur… Tikki floated nearby, evidently concerned.

"I hope he finds peace..." The young woman muttered more to herself than anyone else.

She didn't know if Adrien could ever have found that in Paris. A part of her liked to think that he could have done so and yet there was another voice inside which said that maybe, it might have been better if he left and found his purpose elsewhere. This city, beautiful though it was, had many memories: good and bad. His friends were here, as were his enemies. He'd fallen in love here and lost his family. The ghosts were so numerous and varied that she couldn't help but wonder if he would ever have been able to bear them. Perhaps if he'd had enough in the present or to look forwards to in the future…

They never would know now. For the time being, she was going to assume that he knew what he was doing. There was always a chance that- No. She remembered those few words that he'd written to her. She couldn't live her life wondering when he'd walk through the door again because it might be never. The young woman let out a sigh, lowering her head. Tikki, as ever, was concerned for her friend:

"Maybe you shouldn't have-"

"No..." She dismissed the notion with a shake of the head and a gentle smile. "It's fine Tikki. It was just a way of bringing things to an end..."

Maybe she would see him again, maybe not.

Looking out over the city in the early morning sun, she only had one thing to say:

"Have a good life Adrien Agreste."


	32. Renouveau

It was decidedly hard to concentrate with that much laughter nearby. Still, rather than scold, Marinette Dupain-Cheng was rather more inclined to smile. She found herself looking up. She'd spent three hours considering these documents, going over them time and time again. She needed a break. Getting up, the woman stretched herself, giving her assistant a smile and silent permission to have a few moments rest herself if she saw it fit.

She was quick enough to realize that the noise was coming from outside. Making her way along through the building, she reached the door which lead outside. Growing a little closer, she was able to make out the soft sound of some strings being plucked. A gentle smile traced itself on her face. She was able to picture the scene almost perfectly in her mind before she even set eyes on it. Truth be told, it was rather frequent for them. Anyone who visited their home during the warmer months would have had occasion to witness something similar.

On the grass, gathered in front of a small alcove. Where a statue of a beautiful young woman had once been placed, there was a man. He sat there, strumming the cords of an old and somewhat beaten up guitar. His audience was a group of three. Marinette smiled as she considered the mops of dark hair. The boys were engrossed in the spectacle, at that funny age when their attention was easily gained and caused them to focus solely on the immediate amusement put in front of them. The girl however, older than her companions, did hear the door open. She turned over her shoulder, green eyes falling upon the woman. The girl grinned before asking:

"Are you coming _maman_?"

"I'm sure I can spare the time."

She made her way down the stairs and towards the little group. The man paused his melody so as to allow her the opportunity to join them. That was enough to be noticed by the boys. Both promptly began to squabble over who got to sit on her lap as she settled down. Eventually, a compromise was found. Both sat next to her, their sibling a little older and more content to stay just a little bit further away from them. She didn't quite feel so obliged to snuggle, although her parent knew that she certainly wouldn't pass up on the opportunity had it presented itself.

The man smiled, waiting until she was settled down and ready to listen before continuing to strum a few cords. She listened to them carefully but found herself unable to place them. She let him play on. It was clearly more than a random few cords of a melody, more composed. Far more work had gone into it. The woman smiled recognizing what she was listening to. As such, she allowed him to finish.

"Is that a new song?" The woman asked him.

"Yes." He replied with a gentle smile. "Did you like it?"

"Of course..."

"There's a bit of you in there and some of Louis, Hugo and Emma of course."

The children's excitement seemed to grow at the mention of their names. Marinette found herself wondering if she could maybe allow herself to take the rest of the day off. She could go upstairs, change into something less formal, send her assistant home with all of her pay and spend the rest of the daylight hours with her children. That was the one issue with having them around. They had something of a distracting effect on her. Right now, all she wanted to do was to take them to the park or just settle down here and play with her sons and daughter.

She was in the middle of pondering such a notion when something drew her attention. Resting against her, the youngest of her children, Hugo had tensed up suddenly. Concerned, she looked down to see him, resting her hand on his shoulder. Almost instantly, she felt him grab a hold of her. The boy's attention wasn't resting on her however but rather on a nearby tree. It unsettled Marinette who found herself pulling the child just a little bit closer to her. On her shoulder, a small red creature perked up, perhaps sensing the same thing.

"What is it sweety?" She asked him.

There was no response. The boy's attention seemed to be entirely engulfed by the nearby tree. She would have been worried, had it not been for the sight that she caught out of her peripheral vision. The man was smiling. His attention was also focused on the tree. She found herself raising her eyebrows, trying to understand just what exactly had been spotted. The look that he gave her was a reassuring one. Her attention turned back towards the tree, desperately trying to see just what exactly had distracted the rest of her family.

She became aware of the man with a guitar next to her once more. His presence was comforting. For all that, he was still gazing towards the tree.

"We have a visitor." He announced.

This time, Marinette saw it. It was like a shadow moving in the branches. Quite a large one at that. She felt almost embarrassed that she hadn't spotted it initially. At first, it was immobile, only just visible through the dense leaves. After a few moments though, when it had become apparent that the family had spotted its presence. It tensed up, lingering there for a few moments. It seemed to be hesitating, torn between leaving or perhaps taking a chance and staying put up there, considering them from afar.

Ultimately, it did neither. It shifted. The branches moved only slightly as the figure came down. Quickly, it became apparent that it wasn't a monster, or some kind of animal but rather a man. A tall mark in a strange dark suit which gave him some traits which belonged more to a cat. Golden hair and a set of bright green eyes stood out. He stayed at a certain distance, a few yards between them. Was it for their comfort or his own uncertainty? The silence made it impossible to say.

It suddenly occurred to Marinette that she had better mind her children. Whilst she was comfortable around the stranger, they likely wouldn't know who he was or what he wanted. To them he was a fearsome monster or a demon. She put her arms around Hugo and Louis, pulling them in close so that they didn't panic. Sure enough, both were keen to snuggle up to her, obviously taking some comfort from her presence. Even their older sister seemed to be unsettled. The musician came closer to them, placing a hand on the girl's shoulder for some comfort.

"It's okay..." Marinette told the children. "He's a friend."

They didn't seem to be entirely convinced. Understandable given the nature of the man before them. He didn't look entirely human, at least to their eyes. Hugo and Louis certainly seemed to be on tenterhooks, about five seconds away from fully-fledged panic. Their sister seemed to have been somewhat calmer, assuming that her parents would know what exactly they were talking about concerning the newcomer.

Marinette fixed the man clad in black. He seemed to be almost bewildered by the spectacle before him but there was something gentle about him. His gaze travelled over the group but rested on the children for a moment, in particular the girl. She gave him some time to pull himself together. She could only imagine what was going through his head. Presumably he found himself to be lost and confused. How long had he been there? She couldn't have said. So the woman did the only thing that she felt that she could to help him along. The woman smiled.

It seemed to be enough to shake him out of whatever trance he'd been trapped in. He turned back to face her. A part of the woman wanted to take a couple of steps towards the man, to take his hand and guide him back over towards them so that he no longer acted as such an intruder. She held off from doing so. All of this would happen in its own time.

"It's been a while..." The man spoke softly after a while.

"Yes. It has..." She replied gently, letting him know that he was welcome here.

Very slowly the man seemed to no longer be so tense. He was breathing a little bit more easily. She saw those broad shoulders of his, seep down and relax. It made him look as if he was less threatening, more human. This must all have been strange, alien for him. What sort of a reunion had he been expecting? Marinette tried not to think about that, choosing to focus on the present. At least right now, he no longer gave off the impression that he was about to spook, bolt over the wall and disappear forever.

"I wanted to see how you were doing- I didn't think-." His attention fell upon the children once more. "I'm sorry if I scared you."

"It's fine." The man assures the newcomer.

"I have called ahead." He shook his head before finally offering them a smile.

"Kids… Why don't you run on ahead?" Marinette suggests to the youngsters.

Her husband takes over, leading the small group a few feet away. Somehow, that makes things a little bit less awkward. Marinette gets to her feet. If Cat Noir seems reluctant to bridge the gap between the two of them, she'll do it for him. He doesn't object. She stops a few feet short of him. The blonde man's attention was focused on the group of children and the man who was doing his best to distract them. After a few moments however, he was finally able to turn around and to fix her. There was an almost confused look on his face, as if he couldn't quite comprehend how he'd come to be here.

This wasn't the world that he'd left behind. Had he been anticipating that nothing would have changed? That everything and everyone he'd left behind would be exactly the same as when he'd left them? It seemed impossibly naive for him. Finally though, he managed to gather his senses together to speak:

"I like what you've done with the place. It feels… Homely."

"Thanks… As you can imagine, we've had to make a few changes." Marinette smiles fondly as she considers her family. "What about you? What happened to Adrien Agreste?"

"I went back to Tibet… There's a new order of Guardians there. Different. I'm trying to bring us into the 21st century."

Marinette was quick enough to realize that she didn't have his full attention. Indeed, a sizeable portion of that was being taken up by the oldest of the children: a dark haired girl with green eyes. The mother smiled thoughtfully as she considered her eldest. The girl was calm and had a heart of gold. Had she been born a few decades prior, no doubt she would have been one of their circle of friends. As it was, she had her own little group that she hung out with. A new generation… But Cat Noir wouldn't know any of that.

No… All that he could do was make a much more simple observation. As she stood there, for the first time since he'd returned, Marinette felt comfortable enough to guess what might have been going through his mind:

"Her name is Emma: Emma Nathalie Dupain-Cheng."

Adrien turned back to look at her with a certain amount of incredulity on his face. She only offered him a smile, which, after a few moments he returned to her. He seemed to be considering the girl in a new light now, as if her mere name was some sort of confirmation. For a while, they just stood there together. She was in no hurry. It was a beautiful day and there was still that generally calming feel to it. Work could wait… She had other more important and more pleasant things to deal with…

"Do you want to stay for lunch?" It seemed like such a simple offer after all these years.

"Yes please." For the first time, he turned back to face her and actually seemed to see her. "I think we have a lot to catch up on."

"We do..." Her voice trailed off for a moment. "Do we have the time?"

"Yes… I'll make sure that we do."

...

I would like to thank everyone for reading this story and leaving reviews. It's been fun.


End file.
